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false killer whale

File:Pseudoorca_Crassidens_-_False_Killer_Whale.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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false killer whale

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Also known as Pseudorca crassidens, Phocaena crassidens

species of mammal

Species

Near Threatened

blackfish

Species

  1. PhylumChordata
  2. ClassMammalia
  3. OrderCetartiodactyla
  4. FamilyDelphinidae
Habitatmarine

Maximum longevity: 62.5 years (captivity) Observations: One captive specimen was still alive at 33.6 years of age (Richard Weigl 2005). Females are estimated to live over 62 years.

via IUCN

~16 min read

Encyclopedic overview

The false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens) is a species of oceanic dolphin that is the only extant representative of the genus Pseudorca. It is found in oceans worldwide but mainly in tropical regions. It was first described in 1846 as a species of porpoise based on a skull, which was revised when the first carcasses were observed in 1861. The name "false killer whale" comes from having a skull similar to the orca or killer whale (Orcinus orca).

The false killer whale reaches a maximum length of 6 m (20 ft), though size can vary around the world. It is highly sociable, known to form pods of up to 50 members, and can also form pods with other dolphin species, such as the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). It can form close bonds with other species, as well as have sexual interactions with them. But the false killer whale has also been known to eat other dolphins, though it typically eats squid and fish. It is a deep-diver; maximum known depth is 927.5 m (3,043 ft); maximum speed is around 30 km/h (19 mph).

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “false killer whale” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

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