noun
- A baleen whale; any whale of the suborder Mysticeti that has baleen plates instead of teeth for filter-feeding.
Usage: zoology; also called baleen whale
Examples
- The blue whale is the largest mysticete in the world.
- Mysticetes use baleen to filter krill and small fish from seawater.
- Unlike odontocetes, mysticetes do not have teeth.
- Humpback whales are mysticetes known for their complex songs.
- Scientists study mysticete migration patterns to understand ocean ecosystems.