

The largest animal on Earth based on weight is the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus), which can weigh up to 160 tonnes (352,739 lb) and has an average length of 24 m (80 ft). A huge specimen caught in the Southern Ocean, Antarctica, on 20 March 1947 weighed 190 tonnes (418,878 lb) and measured 27.6 m (90 ft 6 in).