INVENTORY OF FLORA AND FAUNA OF MYANMAR:
A FRONTIER OF ASIAN BIODIVERSITY

Searching for larger baleen whales in Myanmar -The first record of Balaenoptera omurai-

Myanmar faces the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea, the very eastern end of northern indian Ocean

Which species of larger baleen whales in habit the Indian Ocean? How they live and die in the seas around Myanmar?
Holmes et al (2014) listed Balaenoptera edeni and B. musculus as confirmed Indian-Ocean dwellers, and referred to the possibility of B. physalis and B. acutorostrala. They also stated it would be necessary to “Conduct an inventory of whale skeletons in the country including confirming and updating descriptions, identifications and location data”.
National Museum of Nature and Science initiated the research project “Biological Inventory with special attention to Myanmar”, collaborating with the Forest Department, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, Myanmar, and as a part of this project we reviewed large whale specimens preserved in various research institutions in Myanmar in the four consecutive trips made between 2016 and 2020, to get a glimpse on the large baleen whale fauna found in the seas around Myanmar. In addition to the known two balaenopterids, B. muscles and B. edeni, we found five specimens of B. omurai, a newly introduced balaenopterids in 2003.

Holmes et al, 2014. Marine Conservation in Myanmar. Current knowledge and research recommendations., WCS and MSAM.

Balaenoptera edeni	Bryde's whale	Confirmed
Balaenoptera musculus	Blue whale	Confirmed
Balaenoptera acutorostrata	Common minke whale	Probable
Balaenoptera physalus	Fin whale	Possible

Institutions we visited in this study

Balaenopterid specimens preserved in Myanmar

Institution	ID	Species name	State Region	Township	Found date	Body length m(Ft)	Body length cm	Specimens
Yangon Zoo Natural History Museum	NHMY1	Balaenptera musculus	Rakhaine		Jan. 19 1987	21.95 (72')	501	Articulated skeleton
Mawlamyaing University	MMU2	Balaenptera musculus	Mon	Paun	Jan. 2006	192.0 (63')	495 (L) and 496 (R) mandibles	Almost complete skeleton
Hlawga Fishery Station	FDH1	Balaenoptera edeni	Rakhaine	Kyentali	April, 2017		ca. 278	Whole skeleton (incomplete)
Hlawga Fishery Station	FDH3	Balaenoptera edeni	Rakhaine		2007		ca. 285	Whole skeleton (incomplete)
Hlawga Fishery Station	FDH6	Balaenoptera edeni	Ayeyawadi	?	?		ca. 307.5	Skull and Postcranials
Mawlamyaing University	MMU1	Balaenoptera edeni	Mon	Paung	1997		299	Skull and Postcranials
Pathein University	PTU1	Balaenoptera edeni	Ayeyawadi	Ngwe Saung	June, 2015			Skull and Postcranials
Myeik University	MYU1	Balaenoptera edeni	Thanintharyi	Kawthaung	Mar. 2004		ca. 174	Skull and Postcranials
Hlawga Fishery Station	FDH2	Balaenoptera omurai	Rakhaine	Gwa	2016		227 Right mandible	Severely broken skull and some post cranials
Dawei University	DWU1	Balaenoptera omurai	Thanintharyi	Laung-Lone	June 27 2005	11.1 (36'6")	275.5+	Skull and Postcranials
Ministry of Fishery Nay Pyi Taw	FDNPT1	Balaenoptera omurai	Thanintharyi	Bokepyim	2000	9.45 (31')	ca. 228	Articulated skeleton
Myeik University	MYU2	Balaenoptera omurai	Thanintharyi	Dawei	2007		ca. 265	Skull and Postcranials
Myeik University	MYU3	Balaenoptera omurai	Thanintharyi	Mergui islands	?		ca. 245	Skull only

Balaenopterid specimens preserved in Myanmar

Species known to exist

Species name	Number of individuals	State / Region found
Balaenptera musculus blue whale	2	Rakhaine / Mon
Balaenoptera edeni Eden's whale (Sittang whale)	6	Rakhaine / Ayeyawadi / Mon / Thanintharyi

A species newly confirmed by the present study

Species name	Number of individuals	State / Region found
Balaenoptera omurai Omura's whale	5	Rakhaine / Thanintharyi

Five specimens of B. omurai were confirmed, which is the first confirmation of the species in Myanmar.

Balaenoptera edeni	Bryde's whale	Confirmed
Balaenoptera musculus	Blue whale	Confirmed
Balaenoptera omurai	Omura's whale	Confirmed

Eden's whale and Omura's whale

Balaenopterid skeletons preserved in Myanmar

Balaenopterid skeletons in Myanmar identified to species level were 15.
Their geographical distribution is as below.

Species	Rakhaine	Ayeyawadi	Mon	Thanintharyi	15
Balaenptera musculus	2	0	1	1	4
Balaenoptera edeni	2	2	1	1	6
Balaenoptera omurai	1	0	0	4	5

In the present study on the baleen whale distribution in the very eastern end of the northern indian Ocean, B. omurai was confirmed in addition to B. musculus and B. edeni hitherto known. Confirmation of these data would be significant for conservation of the species.

Blue whale skeleton

Eden's whale skeleton

Omura's whale skeleton

Institution