Mammals · Artiodactyla · Delphinidae

False Killer Whale

Pseudorca crassidens

Near Threatened

It could become endangered in the near future if current threats go unchecked. See full glossary

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

Lifespan

60 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Sighting difficulty

Moderate

OceanCarnivore Near Threatened Ocean Mammal

56countries 50parks 9dive 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 & biology

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

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudorca_crassidens