What is the common name for the whale species Megaptera novaeangliae?

The common name for the whale species Megaptera novaeangliae is the humpback whale.

Humpback whales are baleen whales and the only living species in the genus Megaptera. The genus name comes from Greek words meaning “giant wing,” a reference to the species’ exceptionally long front flippers. Its species name, novaeangliae, means “New Englander” and reflects early sightings off the New England coast.

The everyday name “humpback” is linked to the pronounced curve of the whale’s back as it dives. Humpbacks are rorquals, a group that also includes blue, fin, sei, Bryde’s, and minke whales. Like other rorquals, they have expandable throat grooves that help them engulf large volumes of water and prey.

Humpbacks are famous for long migrations, complex songs, spectacular breaches, and cooperative bubble-net feeding. Their diet is mainly small schooling fish and krill. A common mix-up is confusing them with right whales or sperm whales: humpbacks have broad flippers and a distinctive body shape, while sperm whales are toothed whales with large, block-shaped heads.