Molecular Identification, Fatty Acid Profile and Trace Elements in a Stranded Fin Whale in Sabah (Borneo, Malaysia): Implications on Migration Routes and Trophic Ecology of Southern Fin Whales.

Fin whales are a cosmopolitan species found in the largest water masses of the world. In Malaysia, as well as other tropical countries in the Southeast Asian region, literature on fin whales is limited, and as a result, there is confusion regarding their distribution range in the region. This study utilizes the fresh tissue of the skin and blubber of a dead fin whale that was stranded in Sabah (Borneo, Malaysia) on the coast of the South China Sea to confirm the species identity, possible properties of the species' diet, and any trace element contamination.