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Omura’S Whales (Balaenoptera Omurai) Off Northwest Madagascar: Genetics, Coloration, Acoustics And Conservation Needs, Lindsay Alec, Salvatore Cerchio, Boris Androanantenaina, Melinda Rekdahl, Norbert Andrianarivelo, Tahina Rasoloarijao

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The Omura’s whale (Balaenoptera omurai) was described as a new species in 2003 and then later as an ancient lineage basal to a Bryde’s/sei whale clade. Currently known only from whaling and stranding specimens primarily from the western Pacific and eastern Indian Oceans, there exist no confirmed field observations or ecological/behavioral data. Here we present the first genetically confirmed documentation of living Omura’s whales, including descriptions of basic ecology and behavior from northwest Madagascar. Species identification was confirmed through molecular phylogenetic analyses of biopsies collected from 23 animals. All individuals shared a single haplotype in a 402bp sequence …