also: にたりくじら
Bryde's whale
A species of baleen whale (Balaenoptera brydei). The name is thought to come from 似たり (nitari), meaning 'resembling', because it looks similar to the sei whale (イワシクジラ).
Bryde's whales inhabit tropical to temperate seas.
Bryde's whales are often seen in these waters.
Katakana spelling is standard for this whale species name; usually written in kana.
Hiragana spelling; less common than katakana but still encountered.
Mixed kanji-katakana spelling; the kanji 鯨 means 'whale'.
Rare kanji form using 似 (resemble); the name may derive from the whale's resemblance to another species.
From 似たり (nitari, 'resembled') + 鯨 (kujira, 'whale'), because it resembles the sei whale. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the name is conventionally associated with this resemblance.