Parabalaenoptera (SciiFii)

The false gray whale (Parabalaenoptera pacifica) is a species of baleen whale that originally lived in what is now Marin County, California, during the Late Miocene as an extinct species, Parabalaenoptera baulinensis, and the genus itself was once extinct, but has since been brought back from extinction by SciiFii and introduced throughout the northern and central portion of the Pacific Ocean to help boost biodiversity. The false gray whale is a large whale, growing to be about the size of a true gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus). The false gray whale feeds mainly on benthic crustaceans, which it eats by turning on its side and scooping up sediments from the sea floor. This unique feeding selection makes false gray whales one of the most strongly reliant on coastal waters among baleen whales. It is classified as a baleen whale and has baleen, or whalebone, which acts like a sieve, to capture small sea animals, including amphipods taken in along with sand, water and other material. The gestation period for false gray whales is approximately 13 1⁄2 months, with females giving birth every one to three years. In the latter half of the pregnancy, the fetus experiences a rapid growth in length and mass. Similar to the narrow breeding season, most calves are born within a six-week time period in mid January. The calf is born tail first, and measures about 14–16 ft in length, and a weight of 2,000 lbs. Females lactate for approximately seven months following birth, at which point calves are weaned and maternal care begins to decrease. The shallow lagoon waters in which false gray whales reproduce protects the newborn from sharks and orcas. The conservation status of the false gray whale is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts and the false gray whale's wide range.