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    Orcaella Brevirostris (Gray, 1866) : Delph Orcae 1 Ird

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    Francisco José Villanueva
    The document provides information on the long-finned pilot whale. It is a dark brownish grey to black color with distinctive white markings. It has a globose head and extremely long, slender flippers. The dorsal fin is low, wide-based and falcate. Males have larger heads and fins than females. They are often found in large groups of up to a few hundred individuals and feed on squid and fish.

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    Orcaella Brevirostris (Gray, 1866) : Delph Orcae 1 Ird

    Uploaded by

    Francisco José Villanueva
    101 views6 pages
    The document provides information on the long-finned pilot whale. It is a dark brownish grey to black color with distinctive white markings. It has a globose head and extremely long, slender flippers. The dorsal fin is low, wide-based and falcate. Males have larger heads and fins than females. They are often found in large groups of up to a few hundred individuals and feed on squid and fish.

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    Acuatic mammals 18

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    The document provides information on the long-finned pilot whale. It is a dark brownish grey to black color with distinctive white markings. It has a globose head and extremely long, slender flippers. The dorsal fin is low, wide-based and falcate. Males have larger heads and fins than females. They are often found in large groups of up to a few hundred individuals and feed on squid and fish.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    101 views6 pages

    Orcaella Brevirostris (Gray, 1866) : Delph Orcae 1 Ird

    Uploaded by

    Francisco José Villanueva
    The document provides information on the long-finned pilot whale. It is a dark brownish grey to black color with distinctive white markings. It has a globose head and extremely long, slender flippers. The dorsal fin is low, wide-based and falcate. Males have larger heads and fins than females. They are often found in large groups of up to a few hundred individuals and feed on squid and fish.

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    118 Marine Mammals of the World

    Orcaella brevirostris (Gray, 1866) DELPH Orcae 1 IRD

    FAO Names: En - lrrawaddy dolphin; Fr - Orcelle; Sp - Delfín del Irawaddy .

    Fig. 270 Orcaella brevirostris

    Distinctive Characteristics: The lrrawaddy dol-


    phin resembles the finless porpoise, but unlike
    that species, it has dorsal fin. The fin is small and
    triangular, with a bluntly rounded tip, and is set just
    behind midback. The large flippers have curved
    leading edges and rounded tips. The head is
    blunt, with no beak; the mouthline is straight, and
    there may be a visible neck crease. The U-shaped
    blowhole is open toward the front, the reverse of
    the situation in most dolphin species. DORSAL VIEW

    The back and sides of lrrawaddy dolphins are grey


    to bluish grey; the belly is somewhat lighter.
    Tooth counts are 17 to 20 (upper) and 15 to 18
    (lower) in each row. The teeth have slightly ex-
    panded crowns.

    VENTRAL VIEW

    DORSAL VIEW OF MANDIBLE LATERAL VIEW Fig. 271 Skull


    Cetacea - Odontoceti-Delpinae 119

    Can be confused with: lrrawaddy dolphins can be confused with finless porpoises (p. 192) or dugongs
    (p. 212) in the parts of their range where these species overlap. When a clear view is obtained, lrrawaddy
    dolphins are distinguishable because neither of the other species has a dorsal fin.
    Size: This is a relatively small dolphin: adults range from 2 to 2.75 m. Scant evidence indicates that the
    length at birth is about 1 m.
    Geographical Distribution: lrrawaddy dolphins inhabit coastal, brackish, and fresh waters of the tropical
    and subtropical Indo-Pacific. They range from northern Australia and New Guinea to the Bay of Bengal,
    including at least the Irrawaddy, Mahakam, Mekong, Ganges, and Brahmaputra rivers. The range is poorly
    documented and is thought to be more extensive than shown.

    Fig. 272
    Biology and Behaviour: Groups of fewer than 6 individuals are most common, but sometimes up to 15
    dolphins are seen together. lrrawaddy dolphins have been seen in the same area as bottlenose and
    Indo-Pacific hump-backed dolphins. lrrawaddy dolphins are not particularly active, but do make low leaps
    on occasion. They are not known to bowride.
    The calving season is not well known. Some calves appear to have been born from June to August, but 1
    captive female gave birth in December.
    Fishes, cephalopods, and crustaceans are taken as food. They sometimes spit water while feeding,
    apparently to herd fish.
    Exploitation: Shark gillnets in Australia and fish traps and other types of nets throughout the range are
    known to take some lrrawaddy dolphins. Some small-scale hunting by local people probably occurs in many
    areas of its range.
    IUCN Status: Insufficiently known.
    120 Marine Mammals of the World

    Orcinus orca (Linnaeus, 1758) DELPH Orc 1 KIW

    FAO Names: En - Killer whale; Fr - Orque; Sp - Orca .

    Fig. 273 Orcinus orca

    Distinctive Characteristics: Killer whales are


    among the most distinctive, and therefore easily
    identified, of all cetaceans. The tall erect dorsal
    fin is nearly as distinctive as the colour pattern. It
    may reach 0.9 m in females and 1.8 m in males.
    Adult males tend to have dorsal fins that are trian-
    gular or that may even cant forward to varying
    degrees. Killer whales have blunt snouts, with
    only very short and poorly defined beaks. The
    flippers are large and oval, and grow to lengths of DORSAL VIEW
    up to 2 m in bulls.
    The black-and-white colour pattern is unmistak-
    able. The lower jaw, undersides of the flukes, and
    ventral surface from the tip of the lower jaw to the
    urogenital area is white. White lobes extend up
    the sides behind the dorsal fin, and there is a white
    oval patch above and behind each eye. The rest
    of the body is black, except for a light-grey “saddle
    patch” behind the dorsal fin. In some populations,
    the dorsal coloration includes a narrow black
    cape, below which the dark areas are more nearly VENTRAL VIEW
    charcoal grey.
    There are 10 to 12 large, recurved teeth in each
    half of both jaws, which are oval in crosssection.
    In older animals, they are often worn and damaged
    by abscesses.
    Can be confused with: Killer whales are easily
    recognizable to almost anyone who has spent time
    on the water or along the coast in areas they
    frequent. The great size of the dorsal fin (espe-
    cially of adult males) and unique black and white
    colour pattern are diagnostic. At a distance,
    groups without adult males can be confused with
    Risso’s dolphins (p. 152) and false killer whales
    LATERAL VIEW
    (p. 126). Fig. 274 Skull
    Cetacea - Odontoceti-Delpinae 121

    FEMALE MALE
    Fig. 275 Surface - blow - dive profile
    Size: Newborn killer whales are 2.1 ro 2.4 m in length and about 180 kg in weight. Adult females are up to
    8.5 m and 7 500 kg; adult males up to 9.8 m and nearly 10 000 kg.
    Geographical Distribution: This is probably the most cosmopolitan of all cetaceans. They can be seen in
    literally any marine region, and killer whales have even been known to ascend rivers. Killer whales are found
    in all oceans and seas, from the ice edges to the equator, in both hemispheres; however, they appear to be
    more common in nearshore, cold temperate to subpolar waters.

    Fig. 276
    Biology and Behaviour: Studies in the eastern North Pacific, from Washington State to Alaska, have
    distinguished 2 types of killer whales, referred to as residents and transients. Although differentiated by
    ecological differences, there are also differences in coloration and external morphology. In Washington and
    British Columbia, at least, residents are primarily fish eaters and transients eat mostly marine mammals.
    Some studies in other parts of the world suggest that this pattern may be universal.Pods of resident killer
    whales in British Columbia and Washington represent one of the most stable societies known among
    non-human mammals; individuals stay in their natal pod throughout life. Differences in dialects among
    sympatric groups appear to help maintain pod discreteness. Most pods contain 1 up to 55 whales and
    resident pods tend to be larger than those of transients.
    In the Pacific Northwest, calving occurs in non-summer months, from October to March. Similarly, in the
    northeast Atlantic, it occurs from late autumn to mid-winter.
    Though best known for their habits of preying on warm-blooded animals (killer whales are known to have attacked
    marine mammals of all groups, from sea otters to blue whales, except river dolphins and manatees), killer whales
    often eat various species of fish and cephalopods.Killer whales also occasionally eat seabirds and marine turtles.
    Exploitation:Pelagic whaling activities have rarely directed their attention towards killer whales, but whaling
    fleets have taken a few in most years. Very small numbers of killer whales were taken in the North Pacific
    by now-defunct shore whaling stations. Fishermen in many areas see killer whales as competitors, and
    shooting of whales is known to occur. This problem is especially serious in Alaska, where conflicts with
    longline fisheries occur. Small numbers are taken incidentally in fisheries in many areas. Live captures for
    public display have been banned in most areas of the eastern North Pacific. Subsequently, live capture
    activities shifted to Iceland, but in 1991, the Icelandic government announced that once current permits for
    live capture expire, no new ones will be issued.
    IUCN Status: Insufficiently known.
    122 Marine Mammals of the World

    Globicephala melas (Traill, 1809) DELPH Glob 1 PIW

    FAO Names: En - Long-finned pilot whale; Fr - Globicéphale commun; Sp - Calderón común


    Other scientific names still in use: Globicephala melaena (Traill, 1809).

    Fig. 277 Globicephala melas

    Distinctive Characteristics: Externally, the


    long-finned pilot whale resembles its short-finned
    relative. The head is globose, with an upsloping
    mouthline. The flippers are extremely long (18 to
    27% of the body length) and slender, with pointed
    tips and an angled leading edge that forms an
    “elbow.” The dorsal fin is about one-third of the
    way back from the snout tip, and is low, wide-
    based, and falcate. The tail stock is deepened
    (remains of more-or-less uniform he00ight from the DORSAL VIEW
    saddle patch to just ahead of the flukes). Males
    have a larger, more bulbous head; larger, thicker
    dorsal fin; and deeper tail stock than do females.
    Predominantly dark brownish grey to black, pilot
    whales have a white to light grey anchor-shaped
    patch on the chest, a light grey “saddle” behind the
    dorsal fin, and light grey “eyebrow” streaks.
    Inside the mouth are 8 to 13 pairs of sharp, pointed
    teeth in the anterior part of each jaw.

    VENTRAL VIEW

    VIEW Fig. 278 Skull


    Cetacea - Odontoceti - Delphinidae 123

    Can be confused with: In some temperate waters, long-finned and short-finned (p. 124) pilot whales overlap
    in distribution. In these areas, the 2 species will be extremely difficult to distinguish at sea. Tooth counts
    and relative flipper lengths (both of which are generally not useful in at sea sightings) are helpful means of
    separating the 2. In the lower latitude areas of its range, the long-finned pilot whale can be confused with
    false killer (p. 126) and less likely, pygmy killer (p. 128) and melon-headed (p. 130) whales; however, the
    differences in head shape and dorsal-fin shape and position should permit correct identification.
    Size: Newborns are 1.7 to 1.8 m long. Adults reach 6.7 m (males) and 5.7 m (females) in length. Bulls
    reach weights of 2 000 kg.
    Geographical Distribution: Long-finned pilot whales occur in temperate and subpolar zones. They are
    found in oceanic waters and some coastal waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. They were previously found
    in the western North Pacific, but appear to be absent there today. The circum-antarctic population(s) in the
    Southern Hemisphere are isolated from those of the Northern Hemisphere.

    Fig. 279
    Biology and Behaviour: Pilot whales are highly social; they are generally found in pods of about 20 to 100,
    but some groups contain more, to over 1 000. Based on photo-identification and genetic work, pilot whales
    appear to live in relatively stable pods like those of killer whales, and not in fluid groups characteristic of
    many smaller dolphins.
    The mating system is hypothesized to be polygynous, which is consistent with the observed sexual
    dimorphism and adult sex ratio. Pilot whales are apparently deep divers. Groups often forage in broad
    ranks, sometimes with other species. Although they sometimes are aerially active, pilot whales are often
    seen rafting in groups at the surface, apparently resting.
    This is one of the species most often involved in mass strandings. Strandings are fairly frequent, for instance,
    on Cape Cod (Massachusetts, USA) beaches from October to January. Their tight social structure also
    makes pilot whales vulnerable to herding, and this has been taken advantage of by whalers in drive fisheries
    off Newfoundland, the Faeroe Islands, and elsewhere.
    Breeding can apparently occur at any time of the year, but peaks occur in summer in both hemispheres.
    Mating occurs primarily in spring to summer.
    Primarily squid eaters, pilot whales will also take small medium-sized fish, when available.
    Exploitation: The major exploitation of this species is probably the drive fisheries that were mentioned
    above. Today they are only taken in Greenland and the Faeroe Islands, but in the past, Newfoundland,
    Norway, Iceland, Shetland, Orkney, and the Hebrides were also sites of fisheries. Pilot whales are also
    known to be taken incidentally in trawl and gillnet fisheries in the western North Atlantic, and in swordfish
    driftnets in the Mediterranean.
    IUCN Status: Insufficiently known.

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