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Kingdom -- Animalia
Phylum -- Chordata
Class -- Mammalia
Order -- Cetacea
Family -- Delphinidae
Genus -- Pseudorca
Species -- Pseudorca crassidens
Remingtoncetidae, another one of the False Killer Whale's oldest ancestors.
Ambulocetus, one of the false killer whale's earliest aquatic ancestors
Globicephalus grayi Burmeister, 1867.
Orca crassidens Gray, 1846.
Orca destructor Cope, 1866.
Orca meridionalis Flower, 1865.
Pseudorca crassidens meridionalis Deraniyagala, 1945.
Pseudorca grayi Burmeister, 1872.
Pseudorca mediterranea Giglioli, 1882.
Pseudorca meridionalis Gray, 1866.
killer whales have existed for more than 50 million years. Their ancestors however looked much different from the way they do currently.
The closest living relative to the false killer whale is the Risso's Dolphin and the Pilot Whale, as opposed to killer whales as their name might suggest.
Orcas are directly related to their land dwelling ancestors that roamed the earth 50 million years ago. The first cetacean, Pakicetus a carnivorous quadruped measuring about 6 feet long. many of the false killer whale ancestors were land dwelling, but over time evolved and adapted to their new aquatic environment.
The false killer whale is a grey to dark grey Aquatic mammal. Their mouths are home to 44 pairs of incredibly sharp teeth, which they use to feed on different species of fish and squid
false killer whales are highly social and intelligent animals. In the past they have even been known to offer food to divers. Like other species of dolphins, false killer whales are also very playful, and form strong social bonds over the course of their lives.
False killer whale stats:
Lifespan: up to 60 years
Size/length: up to 20 feet long
Weight: up to 3000 pounds
Sex differences: Adult females can reach up to 16 feet in length, while the males can reach up to just about 20 feet
NOT INVASIVE
False whales prefer tropical, subtropical, and temperate bodies of water in every ocean basin. In the US, False Killer Whales are found in Hawai'i.
They share a habitat alongside Dolphins, humpback and sperm whales, various species of fish and squid, as well as squid, all of which they have been known to prey on. Though there is debate surrounding whether or not they actually consume the whales and dolphins they kill, or if they eliminate them as rivals for food.
Also sharing these habitats are plants like red algae, kelp, and sargassum. All of which collect sunlight for energy.
FKW's (False killer Whales) eat 5% of its body weight per day (roughly 150 pounds of food every 24 hours)
FKW's are cooperative hunters, that forage (typically) for large fish and squid. together they hunt in pods of up to 100 individuals, often sharing their food amongst one another.
false killer whales have been documented worldwide! though they do prefer Tropical climates
Social Structure
False Killer Whales are highly social and interactive creatures. They communicate, hunt, and live together in pods of up to 100, though most are around 50.
False Killer Whales have also been known to form pods with other species such as Common bottlenose Dolphins. They have the ability to form close social bonds with other species, and even have been documented having sexual interactions with them, despite of dolphins being a known source of prey.
Mortality
FKW rates of mortality are caused by:
Other killer whales
Predation by sharks
Bacterial disease (in captivity)
Mating right fights can often cause injury that leads to death later on
Competition
False killer whales ompete with other false killer whales over food often. Pods typically join other pods in search for food, but occasionally come into conflict with one another.
Because they share a space with various types of dolphins, animals they consider both friends and food, conflict is unavoidable. They frequently compete for food and territory.
Competition, both inter species and intra-species, is more often than not, over food and territory.
there has been no documented effect on False Killer Whales due to invasive species.
ICUN Rating
False killer whales are considered data deficient on the ICUN rating list. Due their frequent offshore distribution, these whales are deemed too difficult to study and estimate an accurate representation of their population. The little data we have suggests that these whales are endangered however...
Impact from humans
Fisheries influence FKWs to 'depredate' (take fish off of their fishing lines) which leads to hoking and entanglement
With their low population already estimated to be low, further hooking mortality can lead to this species becoming extinct
Fishers often see FKWs as pests because they frequently steal fish, and disrupt fisheries. A decent portion of kown false killer whales are also in captivity, in either zoos or aquariums.
Modern limits on the amount of fishing in the ocean, as well as approaches to conduct with these whales has changed overtime.
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