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Orcinus orca

File:Killerwhales_jumping.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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Orcinus orca

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Also known as Orca gladiator, orca whale, killer whale, orca, dwarf killer whale

The orca (Orcinus orca), or killer whale, is a toothed whale and the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family. The only extant species in the genus Orcinus, it is recognizable by its distinct pigmentation; being mostly black on top, white on the bottom and having recognizable white eye patches. A cosmopolitan species, it inhabits a wide range of marine environments, from Arctic to Antarctic regions to tropical seas, but is more commonly documented in temperate or cooler coastal waters. Scientists have proposed dividing the global population into races, subspecies, or possibly even species.

OverviewAI-generated

Orcinus orca, commonly known as the orca, is a species within the family Delphinidae. Classified under the kingdom Animalia and phylum Chordata, it belongs to the class Mammalia and order Cetacea. The taxon was described by Linnaeus in 1758. Other common names for this organism include Espadarte, Epaulard, and Schwertwal.

The species inhabits the World Ocean and is characterized by black and white coloration. Its gestation period lasts 16.5 months. Orcinus orca is listed as Data Deficient by the IUCN Red List as of 2017. The organism is capable of self-awareness.

Records indicate the species is found in countries including the United States, Mexico, Belgium, Canada, and Brazil. The scientific name is sometimes abbreviated as O. orca.

Synthesized by Vinony from 57 facts across 9 sources: Wikidata, GBIF, PubMed, iNaturalist, Gbif Occ, IUCN Red List, iDigBio, WoRMS, Vinony graph. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.

Species

Data Deficient

grampus

Orcinus orca

SPECIES

  1. KingdomAnimalia
  2. PhylumChordata
  3. ClassMammalia
  4. OrderCetacea
  5. FamilyDelphinidae
Habitatmarine
Observations10,174
Observations recorded39,465

Dieser Artikel beschreibt die Walart. Für das gleichnamige U-Boot siehe Schwertwal (U-Boot). Der (Große) Schwertwal (Orcinus orca), auch Mörderwal, Killerwal, Orca oder Butzkopf (auch Butskopf) genannt, ist eine Art der Wale aus der Familie der Delfine (Delphinidae). Die Art ist weltweit verbreitet, bewohnt jedoch bevorzugt küstennahe Gewässer in höheren Breiten. Schwertwale sind soziale Tiere, die eine komplexe Populationsstruktur aufweisen. Die kleinste Einheit ist die Mutterlinie, ein sehr enger Verband von mütterlicherseits verwandten Walen. Sowohl auf der Ebene der Mutterlinie als auch auf höheren Populationsebenen lässt sich eine Weitergabe von bestimmten Jagdtaktiken und Lautäußerungen an Jungtiere beobachten, was zuweilen als Kultur bewertet wird. Die weltweite Schwertwalpopulation lässt sich in verschiedene Ökotypen aufteilen, die sich in ihrem Körperbau, ihren Lautäußerungen und in ihrem Verhalten unterscheiden. Ob die Ökotypen einzelne Arten darstellen, ist Gegenstand wissenschaftlicher Diskussionen – insbesondere ist jedoch auffallend, dass sich Mitglieder verschiedener Ökotypen nicht kreuzen. DNA-Analysen aus dem Jahr 2010 legen nahe, dass mehrere Arten und Unterarten

via GBIF · IUCN

Museum specimens

Specimen records
1,099
With media
283
Family
Delphinidae
Collections
MVZ, UWBM, CICESE, RBINS-SCIENTIFIC HERITAGE, CMN
Recorded in
United States, Mexico, Belgium, Canada
iDigBio →

Research

748 papers

via PubMed

Wikidata facts

Instance of
taxon
Subclass of
Odontoceti
Parent taxon
Orcinus
Image
202402 Killer whale.svg
Show 20 more facts
taxon rank
species
IUCN conservation status
Data Deficient
taxon name
Orcinus orca
Commons category
Orcinus orca
topic's main category
Category:Orcas
Commons gallery
Orcinus orca
taxon common name
シャチ
gestation period
16.5
uses
self-awareness
habitat
World Ocean
exact match
wordnet-rdf.princeton.edu/wn31/102074050-n
different from
Bran
sequenced genome URL
www.dnazoo.org/assemblies/Orcinus_orca
taxon author citation
(Linnaeus, 1758)
taxon range
Brazil
on focus list of Wikimedia project
Wikipedia:Vital articles/Level/4
short name
O. orca
color
white
main food source
narwhal
Unicode character
🫍
Sources (7)

via Wikidata · CC0

~54 min read

Encyclopedic overview

32 sections
Contents
  • Naming
  • Taxonomy
  • Types
  • Characteristics
  • Range and habitat
  • Population
  • Feeding
  • Fish
  • Mammals and birds
  • Behaviour
  • Social structure
  • Vocalizations
  • Intelligence
  • Life cycle
  • Conservation
  • Relationship with humans
  • Indigenous cultures
  • Attacks by wild orcas on humans and animals
  • Orca attacks on sailboats and small vessels
  • Attacks on humans by captive orcas
  • Human attacks on orcas
  • Modern Western attitudes
  • Whaling
  • Cooperation with humans
  • Whale watching
  • Captivity
  • See also
  • Footnotes
  • References
  • Works cited
  • Further reading
  • External links

The orca (Orcinus orca), or killer whale, is a toothed whale and the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family. The only extant species in the genus Orcinus, it is recognizable by its distinct pigmentation; being mostly black on top, white on the bottom and having recognizable white eye patches. A cosmopolitan species, it inhabits a wide range of marine environments, from Arctic to Antarctic regions to tropical seas, but is more commonly documented in temperate or cooler coastal waters. Scientists have proposed dividing the global population into races, subspecies, or possibly even species.

Orcas are apex predators with a diverse diet. Individual populations often specialize in particular types of prey, including bony fish, sharks, rays, and marine mammals such as seals, dolphins, and whales. They are highly social, with some populations forming stable matrilineal family groups (pods). Their sophisticated hunting techniques and vocal behaviors, often unique to specific groups and passed down from generation to generation, are considered to be manifestations of animal culture. The most studied populations are off the west coast of North America, which include fish-eating "residents", mammal-eating "transients", and offshores.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Orcinus orca” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

Gallery (49)

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via Wikidata sitelinks · CC0