Brydes whale can refer to the species of whale, but it can also refer to the Brydes whale complex which includes 3 or 4 species (brydes whale, Edens whale, Omera whale (which is sometimes referred to as the Pygmy Brydes whale) and the Rice whale.

Worldwide population is around 90,000-100,000. As a result, the entire species is considered least concern. It is therefore essential to work out if the closely related species of whales, are subspecies or separate species.