Pygmy killer whale
Feresa attenuata
By: Nicole Le Boeuf
Edited by: Poul Vendel
The name:
The word feres is French meaning "dolphin", and the word attenuatus is
Latin meaning "drawn out, tapered, or thin". This species is one of
several toothed-whales that are referred to by fishermen as
"blackfish". The common name refers to its similar appearance to false
killer whales and true killer
whales.
The look:
The Pygmy killer whale's body is moderately slender with a rounded head and no beak.
It's coloration is dark grey or brown to black on the back or cape region. There
is also grey to white on the lips, chin, snout, and genital area. Their flippers
are somewhat rounded at the tips which is one way to distinguish them from other
blackfish. False killer whales have a large, falcate dorsal fin midway down the
back.
The size:
The Pygmy killer whale at birth is approximately 80 cm in length with adults reaching up to
2.7 m in length. The maximum weight of a Pygmy killer whale has been recorded at 225 kg. with males being slightly
larger than females.
The location in Africa:
The Pygmy killer whale can be found in tropical and subtropical pelagic waters
worldwide including the Mediterranean Sea, Indian Ocean, and the Southeastern
Atlantic Ocean.
Interesting facts:
The Pygmy killer whale is often seen traveling in groups of fifty or less, but have been seen in
aggregations of up to several hundred animals. They are sometimes held in
captivity where they exhibit aggressive behavior to other captive of their
natural predatory behavior toward other dolphin species in the wild. Although
they primarily feed on fish and squid.
Human impacts:
Some members of this species have been involved in drive fisheries in Japan
and Sri Lanka. They may also be taken in the Eastern Tropical Pacific's tuna
purse seine fishery. However, no documented exploitation occurs in Africa
waters.
Status:
Insufficiently known.
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