noun
southern right whale
A baleen whale species (Eubalaena australis) found in the Southern Hemisphere.
ミナミセミクジラは南半球の海に生息している。
The southern right whale inhabits the oceans of the Southern Hemisphere.
Katakana spelling is standard for this species name; usually written in kana.
Ateji kanji spelling; rarely used in modern Japanese.
Refers to the right whale genus (Eubalaena) in general; ミナミセミクジラ specifies the southern species.
Compound of 南 (minami, 'south') + 背美鯨 (semikujira, 'right whale'). The kanji 背美鯨 is ateji for semikujira, itself of uncertain origin.