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BELUGA or WHITE WHALE, common name for Delphinapterus leucas, a marine mammal of the family Delphinidae, and closely related to the dolphin. Belugas (derived from the Russ. byelukha, "white") are toothed whales with clearly defined heads and short flippers. They are born either black or dark brown, without dorsal fins, and turn milky white in about five years. Males can attain a length of 5.5 m (18 ft) and a weight of 1 metric ton; females are somewhat smaller. Belugas travel in schools of several hundred, feeding on fish and squid. They are common to the Arctic Ocean and travel as far south as the Saint Lawrence River. |