. ▁It ▁can ▁be ▁identified ▁by ▁its ▁long ▁sn out , ▁large , ▁tri angular ▁p ector al ▁fins , ▁and ▁large , ▁anterior ly ▁position ed ▁first ▁d ors al ▁fin . ▁ ▁The ▁di et ▁of ▁the ▁cre ek ▁wh aler ▁consists ▁mainly ▁of ▁small ▁tele ost ▁fish es ▁and ▁cr ust ace ans . ▁It ▁is ▁viv ip ar ous , ▁with ▁the ▁un born ▁young ▁being ▁sust ained ▁through ▁a ▁pla cent al ▁connection . ▁The ▁defined ▁m ating ▁season ▁last s ▁from ▁May ▁to ▁July . ▁Fem ales ▁give ▁birth ▁to ▁one ▁to ▁seven ▁pu ps ▁ann ually , ▁following ▁a ▁gest ation ▁period ▁of ▁seven ▁to ▁ 9 ▁months . ▁A ▁small ▁number ▁of ▁cre ek ▁wh al ers ▁are ▁caught ▁incident ally ▁in ▁in sh ore ▁g ill net s ▁and ▁used ▁for ▁food , ▁but ▁the ▁effect ▁of ▁fish ing ▁on ▁its ▁population ▁seems ▁to ▁be ▁incon sequ ential . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁the ▁IU CN ▁has ▁listed ▁this ▁species ▁under ▁Le ast ▁Conc ern . ▁ ▁Tax onomy ▁and ▁ph y log eny ▁The ▁cre ek ▁wh aler ▁was ▁described ▁by ▁Australian ▁ich thy ologist ▁Gilbert ▁Per cy ▁Wh itle y ▁in ▁a ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁volume ▁of ▁Pro ceed ings ▁of ▁the ▁Lin ne an ▁Society ▁of ▁New ▁South ▁Wales . ▁He ▁assigned ▁the ▁new ▁species ▁to ▁the ▁sub gen us ▁Ur ang an ops ▁of ▁the ▁genus ▁G ale ol am na , ▁and ▁gave ▁it ▁the ▁specific ▁ep