Order: Cetacea
Suborder: Odontoceti
Superfamily: Delphinoidea
Family: Delphinidae
Subfamily: Globicephalinae
Genus & Species: Pseudorca crassidens
APPEARANCE
The false killer whale is a small porpoise closely resembling the pilot
whale, its close relative. They are rather small compared to other
cetaceans, the males growing to 19 ft (5.7 m) in length, and the females
growing to the slightly smaller length of 16.3 ft (4.9 m). They weigh
1.1-2.2 tons. False killer whales are completely black in colour,
although some may have a grey patch shaped like an anchor that
extends from the lower jaw to the naval and flippers. The black head
may look pale grey in certain lights. The calves are light grey at birth.
The body is very slender and streamlined and gradually slopes down
from the blowhole to the tip of the snout, creating an almost
indistinguishable beak. The lower jaw ends well before the end of the
snout. The dorsal fin is smaller than that of the killer whale and is
hooked at the rounded tip. The tail flukes are small in relation to the
body and have a distinct notch in the middle. The pectoral fins are
also small and taper to a point. A unique "elbow" is located at the
middle of these fins, which are positioned very close to the head. The
false killer whale has large, conical teeth, 16-22 on each jaw. They are
3/4 in. in diameter at the gum line.
False killer whales are fast, active swimmers. They are very intelligent
and highly trainable, which is why they are displayed in many marine
parks.
HABITAT
False killer whales are found in the deep tropical, subtropical, and
warm temperate waters throughout the world, although they are not
especially abundant anywhere. They prefer warmer, offshore waters,
and are suspected to migrate from north to south with the seasonal
warming and cooling of the waters. They have been found in the Red
Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and off Australia, Britain,
Denmark, Florida, and Texas. They have been found as far north as
Alaska.
False killer whales travel in groups called pods consisting of 10-50
individuals, although pods of several hundred have been recorded.
They are well known for mass strandings, over 100 stranding in
Florida once and 800 stranding at another time. Despite help from
volunteers, they will refuse to turn back to the ocean, and will
eventually die. The reason for these strandings is not clear.
FOOD
The false killer whale feeds mainly upon squid, octopus, and cuttlefish,
as well as fish such as cod. They have also been known to feed upon
marine mammals.
ENEMIES
False killer whales have few known enemies. In the United Kingdom
they have been killed by whalers to be stripped of their blubber or to
be turned into fertilizer. Entanglement in fishing nets also pose as a
problem.
BREEDING
The breeding habits of the false killer whale are poorly understood.
The breeding season is thought to be year round, with sexual maturity
reached at a length of 12-14 ft (3.6-4.2 m). The calf (rarely calves) is
born with a length of 5-6 ft (1.5-1.8 m), and a weight of 175 lbs (80
kg).
A NEW ANIMAL
The false killer is a relatively new animal to scientists. It was unheard
of before 1846, when a half-fossilized skull of one was uncovered in
the Lincolnshire fens. Sir Richard Owen gave it its name as the skull
resembled that of the killer whale. In 1861, the first live false killers
were found in Kiel Bay by some whalers. They tried to capture the
creatures, but succeeded only in trapping 40 and killing 1. A year later
3 were found stranded in Denmark. Ever since, they have turned up in
many places and are quite common.
RELATIVES
The false killer whale is known as a blackfish along with its closest
relatives, the pygmy killer whale, killer whale, melonheaded whale,
and the short-finned and long-finned pilot whales.
RESOURCES CITED
1. Funk & Wagnall's Wildlife Encyclopedia, "False Killer Whale" pg
713, vol 6, USA, 1974, BPC Pub Ltd
2. www.nsrl.ttu.edu/tmot/pseucras.htm
3. www.upstarts.net.au/site/non_commercial/whales/
whalesspecies/falsekillerwhale.html
4. sci.tamucc.edu/tmmsn/29Species/falsekiller.html 
Back
