2. MATERIALS

The present study examined common minke whales obtained from the coastal regions of Japan. The specimens were acquired from seven animals (Table 1). 16NPCK-M009 and 16NPCK-M012 were procured in 2016 during the second phase of the Japanese Whale Research Program under the special permit in the Western North Pacific (JARPNII). 18NPCK-M001, 18NPCK-M006 and 18NPCK-M008 were obtained in 2018 during the New Scientific Whale Research Program in the western North Pacific (NEWREP-NP). 19SK214 and 19SK215 were acquired in 2019 during Japanese commercial whaling operations. The research programs adhered to the regulations outlined in Article VIII of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW). All samples were collected in accordance with legal procedures.
Table 1 List of specimens.