# Narwhal (*Monodon monoceros*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/narwhal  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The narwhal (Monodon monoceros) is a marine mammal in the whales and dolphins subgroup, belonging to the order Cetacea, suborder Odontoceti and family Monodontidae. It falls in the giant size class, with an adult body mass of 900 kg and a highest reported value of 938.1 kg. The narwhal is a piscivore and carnivore whose main food is boreogadus saida, and its activity pattern is cathemeral. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, not an IUCN threatened category, and has a lifespan of 45 years, with values up to 50 years.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 900 kg – 938.1 kg |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 45 years – 50 years |
| Diet | Piscivore |
| Main food | boreogadus saida |
| Habitat | Not recorded |
| Gestation | 365 days – 450 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 1 |
| Age at maturity | 6 years – 8 years |
| Litters or clutches a year | 0.33 |
| Active | Day and night (cathemeral) |
| Lifestyle | Marine |
| Migration | Migratory |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Mammalia
- order: Cetacea
- family: Monodontidae
- genus: Monodon
- species: *Monodon monoceros* Linnaeus, 1758

Synonyms: *Ceratodon monodon*, *Ceratodontis ceratodon*, *Monodon microcephalus*, *Monodon moneceros*, *Monodon narhval*, *Monodon narhwal*, *Narwalus andersonianus*, *Narwalus microcephalus*, *Narwalus vulgaris*, *Tachynices megacephalus*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is a narwhal?

The narwhal is a marine mammal in the whales and dolphins subgroup, classified in the order Cetacea, suborder Odontoceti and family Monodontidae.

### How heavy is a narwhal?

An adult Narwhal has a body mass of 900 kg, with a highest reported value of 938.1 kg, placing it in the giant size class.

### What does a narwhal eat?

The narwhal is a piscivore and carnivore, and its main food is boreogadus saida.

### Is the narwhal endangered?

No. The narwhal is listed as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List, which is not an IUCN threatened category.

### How long does a narwhal live?

The narwhal has a lifespan of 45 years, with a highest reported value of 50 years.

### How many young does a narwhal have?

A narwhal has 1 young per litter, at a rate of 0.33 litters per year, after a gestation period of 450 days (1.2 years).

### When does a narwhal reach sexual maturity?

A narwhal reaches sexual maturity at 7 years, with reported values from 6 to 8 years.

### Who named the narwhal?

The narwhal was named Monodon monoceros by Linnaeus, 1758.

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [EltonTraits 1.0: species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1), CC0 1.0, 1.0. Wilman, H., Belmaker, J., Simpson, J., de la Rosa, C., Rivadeneira, M.M. & Jetz, W. (2014) EltonTraits 1.0: Species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals. Ecology 95: 2027. https://doi.org/10.1890/13-1917.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Narwhal (Monodon monoceros). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/narwhal