Herpetocetus (SciiFii)

The pygmy gray whale (Herpetocetus californianus) is a species of cetotheriid mysticete in the subfamily Herpetocetinae, despite its name, that originally lived from the Early Miocene all the way to the Early Pleistocene as an extinct species of Herpetocetus and the genus itself was once extinct, but has since been brought back from extinction by SciiFii and introduced throughout the Californian Great Barrier Reef to help boost biodiversity. The pygmy gray whale is a very small baleen whale, growing to be about 4.5 meters (14.7 feet) in length. Calves are estimated to be about 1.6 metres (5 feet 3 inches) to 2.2 metres (7 feet 3 inches) at birth. The pygmy gray whale feeds mainly on benthic crustaceans, which it eats by turning on its side and scooping up sediments from the sea floor, similarly to true gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus). This unique feeding selection makes pygmy 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 pygmy gray whale's gestation period is about 10-12 months on average. The conservation status of the pygmy gray whale is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts and the pygmy gray whale's wide range.