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beluga

beluga or white whale, small, toothed northern whale , Delphinapterus leucas. The beluga may reach a length of 19 ft (5.8 m) and a weight of 4,400 lb (2,000 kg). It has a small, round head, with a short, broad, beaklike snout, and a flexible neck; its flippers are short, broad, and rounded, and it lacks a dorsal fin. It produces a variety of noises and is sometimes called a sea canary. The young are born with dark fur but become almost pure white in maturity. Belugas winter in the Arctic Ocean, feeding upon crustaceans, fish, and squid; they are often found in groups of several hundred individuals. They mate in spring, and in summer they enter northern rivers. The young are born after a gestation period of 14 months, one calf every second year. The beluga is hunted by the Eskimo for food and by commercial whalers for its hide, which is known as porpoise hide. Beluga is also the common name of the largest of the sturgeons . Beluga whales are classified in the phylum Chordata , subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Cetacea, family Monodontidae.

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"beluga." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 18 Dec. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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beluga

A Dictionary of Zoology | 1999 | | Â© A Dictionary of Zoology 1999, originally published by Oxford University Press 1999. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

beluga
1. Huso huso See ACIPENSERIDAE.

2. (white whale, Delphinapterus leucas) See MONODONTIDAE.

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beluga

World Encyclopedia | 2005 | Â© World Encyclopedia 2005, originally published by Oxford University Press 2005. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

beluga (white whale) Small, toothed Arctic whale that is milky white when mature. It preys on fish, squid, and crustaceans and is valued by Eskimos for its meat, hide and blubber. Length: c.4m (13ft). Species: Delphinapterus leucas. Beluga is also a type of sturgeon, whose roe is sold as caviar.

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

	Beluga, Delphinapterus leucas, distribution and survey effort in the Gulf of Alaska. Magazine article from: Marine Fisheries Review; 6/22/2000
	Beluga, Delphinapterus leucas, habitat associations in Cook Inlet, Alaska. Magazine article from: Marine Fisheries Review; 6/22/2000
	Cancer in belugas from the St. Lawrence Estuary. (Correspondence). Magazine article from: Environmental Health Perspectives; 10/1/2002

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