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Outline I. Beluga whale A. Order II. Life history A. Appearance B. Size C. Habitat D. Characteristics E. Sound F. Eating habit III. Reason for endangered classification A. Hunting B. Pollution C. Predator IV. World population V. Efforts to save the species A. Conservation VI. Conclusion VII. Sources The Beluga whale belongs to the order of Cetaces. This order is further divided into three suborders: the toothed whales, or Odontoceti, the baleen whales, or Mysticeti, and the Archaeoceti. The Beluga is a member of the Odontoceti. Its' family name is Monodontidae. Its genus name is Dephinapteres leucas, which means "dolphin without a fin." The species name leucas, means "white." The Beluga is derived from the Russian word Belukha. Beluga or "white whales" are not born white. They are gray and get lighter until approximately age six, when they are completely white. This lightening is caused by a reduction of melanin in the skin. Adults are yellowish-white to creamy white. They attain their whiteness upon reaching sexual maturity. Males reach sexual maturity at 8 or 9 years, while females become sexually mature at from 4 to 7 years of age. The male averages between 11.2 feet and 15.1 feet with a we