pygmy right whale
A small baleen whale species (Caperea marginata) found in the Southern Hemisphere. The Japanese name is usually written in katakana.
The pygmy right whale inhabits the cold waters of the Southern Hemisphere.
The pygmy right whale is a rare whale that has not been studied much.
Refers to the right whale (genus Eubalaena), a larger baleen whale. コセミクジラ is the smaller 'pygmy' relative.
Katakana spelling is standard for this species name; usually written in kana.
Kanji spelling is rare and mainly found in older or specialized texts; learners should use the katakana form.
The name combines 小 (ko, 'small') + 背美 (semi, an old name for right whales, from 背美鯨) + 鯨 (kujira, 'whale'), literally 'small right whale'. The exact origin of 'semi' is uncertain, but it may refer to the whale's back shape.