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  3. False Killer Whale

Mammals · Artiodactyla · Delphinidae

False Killer Whale

Pseudorca crassidens

Near Threatened

It could become threatened in the near future if current threats go unchecked.

Spotted something wrong?

The false killer whale or black killer whale is a species of odontocete cetacean of the family Delphinidae; it is the only species in the genus Pseudorca and no subspecies are recognised. It is one of the largest members of the oceanic dolphin family. It lives in the waters of tropical and subtropical regions around the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans. Much of the data on this species has been obtained by examining stranded animals.

Weight

1 t – 2.2 t

Size

4 m – 6 m

Life expectancy

60 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Ocean
56countries50parks9dive sites17same family

Fun facts

  • comportamientoIt can form cooperative hunting alliances with wild bottlenose dolphins, an unusual piece of between-species cooperation among large cetaceans.
  • It is one of the few mammal species, along with the killer whale, the pilot whale and human beings, whose females live for many years after they stop reproducing.
  • Its social cohesion is so strong that it is involved in mass strandings: in 1946 more than eight hundred individuals ran aground together on the Argentine coast.

Life cycle and biology

Skeleton type
Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat and environment
Deep, temperate and tropical oceanic waters worldwide
Sexual maturity
9.5 years
Gestation / incubation
14.8 months
Litter / clutch size
1

Sources consulted: Wikipedia (es): Pseudorca crassidens

Where to find it

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Where to see it

Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented — showing 19 of 59.

Related species

Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with False Killer Whale — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.

Same taxonomic family
Same taxonomic family
Same taxonomic family
Same taxonomic family
Same taxonomic family
Shares a park

Keep exploring

Based on what we already know about false killer whale.

Share an experience, a fun fact or a tip for seeing the false killer whale.
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The pins mark the parks and dive sites where its presence is documented.

See its range on the interactive map→
KomodoIndonesia
Galápagos National ParkEcuador
EvergladesUnited States
Sian Ka'anMexico
Revillagigedo ArchipelagoMexico
Cocos IslandCosta Rica
CoibaPanama
Fernando de NoronhaBrazil
TayronaColombia
YakushimaJapan
Darwin IslandEcuador
Wolf IslandEcuador
Cocos IslandCosta Rica
Ogasawara IslandsJapan
Ningaloo ReefAustralia
Molokini CraterUnited States
Kona (night diving with manta rays)United States
Rangiroa (Tiputa Pass)French Polynesia
Cathedrals (Lanai)United States
See all 50 parks
Striped DolphinLeast Concern

Striped Dolphin

Stenella coeruleoalba

Risso's DolphinLeast Concern

Risso's Dolphin

Grampus griseus

Bottlenose DolphinLeast Concern

Bottlenose Dolphin

Tursiops truncatus

Pantropical Spotted DolphinLeast Concern

Pantropical Spotted Dolphin

Stenella attenuata

Spinner DolphinLeast Concern

Spinner Dolphin

Stenella longirostris

Tiger SharkNear Threatened

Tiger Shark

Galeocerdo cuvier

CountriesMexico
ParksKomodoIndonesia
TagsCarnivore
Carnivore
Near Threatened
Ocean
Mammal

Oceania20

Asia12

Africa9

North America9

South America6

Mexico
United States
Australia
Indonesia
Colombia
Costa Rica
American Samoa
Australia
Cook Islands
Fiji
French Polynesia
Guam
Kiribati
Marshall Islands
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Niue
Northern Mariana Islands
Palau
Papua New Guinea
Samoa
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Tonga
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Brunei
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Cameroon
Gabon
Gambia
Guinea-Bissau
Mauritania
São Tomé and Príncipe
Senegal
Bermuda
Costa Rica
El Salvador
Guatemala
Honduras
Mexico
Nicaragua
Panama
United States
Brazil
Colombia
Ecuador
French Guiana
Guyana
Suriname