The sei whale has multiple names

The sei whale derives its various names from its feeding habits and its taxonomic history. English and French-speaking countries sometimes refer to it as Rudolphi's rorqual in tribute to Karl Asmund Rudolphi, who took up the description by René-Primevère Lesson in 1828. The Japanese for their part call it the sardine whale or iwashi kujira, because of its diet observed in the Pacific.