Small killer whale. Lesser killer whale Commercial value of killer whales

16.03.2024 ethnoscience

There are many representatives of toothed whales in the dolphin family. However, the small or black killer whale occupies a special place in the list. She is distinguished by her quick wit and playful disposition. She has high adaptive abilities for small closed water areas and phenomenal learning ability. Killer whales are a favorite animal of trainers and visitors of aquariums. Therefore, she deserves our knowledge of her to be a little broader.

Briefly, the small killer whale can be characterized as follows:

adult length – from 3.7 to 6.5 m;

weight – from 1 to 1.8 tons;

number of teeth – 44.

The skin color of the killer whale is black, sometimes dark gray. There is a white stripe on the belly side. The body is cigar-shaped, streamlined, flattened on top. The head is somewhat conical, there is no beak. The dorsal fin is sickle-shaped, short, the lateral fins are flat, pointed at the ends.

The animal's habitat is quite extensive. These are mainly warm and moderately warm waters of the World Ocean. In the Atlantic, killer whales live in the coastlines of Argentina, Mexico, and Europe. In the Indian Ocean, they live in the eastern waters of Africa and South Asia. In the Pacific Ocean, the small killer whale is also not uncommon. Sometimes found even in the waters of the Kuril Islands.

Since the black killer whale is a carnivore, it has no problems with food supply. The main diet is fish: salmon, mackerel, sea bass, herring, etc. The killer whale does not disdain octopus and squid. Seals and sea lions sometimes become its victims. However, they are not on her regular menu.

Lesser killer whales are collective animals. They live in groups of up to 30-35 individuals. But there are herds of hundreds of whales. Ultrasonic echolocation serves as a means of communication with each other. Killer whales do not like to swim to the shore; they stay in open waters, diving 2 km deep.

Sexual maturity of animals occurs at 8-11 years of age. The mating season lasts from February to early April. The female carries the baby for 15-16 months and after birth feeds it with milk for 1.5 years. The next pregnancy occurs only after a 6-9 year break. The black killer whale can give birth to bottlenose dolphins.

Presumable enemies of small killer whales are sharks and other types of killer whales, but their attacks have been recorded in isolated cases. A great danger to the population of the species is represented by pathological strandings of animals on the shore, in whole groups. However, the real scourge is the whaling trawlers. Therefore, many countries have introduced licensing restrictions on fishing. In Russia, the small killer whale has long been registered on the pages of the Red Book.

The species Lesser killer whale belongs to the dolphin family. Outwardly, it does not differ from an ordinary killer whale, only slightly smaller in size.

Description

The body length of a female individual can reach 5 meters, and of males - up to 6 meters. Body weight varies from 980 to 180 kg.

The killer whale is almost entirely black. Only in the neck and throat area there is a gray tint. Due to its dark color, the lesser killer whale is also called black. On the sides there are fins of a narrow and pointed shape. The dorsal fin has the outline of a sickle. The head is shaped like a cone. Inside the mouth there are about 44 large and sharp teeth.

Habitats

The small killer whale prefers temperate and tropical climates in the World Ocean. This species can often be found in the Mediterranean and Red Seas, in the Atlantic. The marine mammal lives in the territory from the coast of New Zealand to Japanese lands. In the eastern Pacific Ocean, black killer whales are found near Cape Horn and off the coast of Alaska. Many individuals live near the eastern African coast of the Indian Ocean. Killer whales are found in the east and southeast of Asian regions.

Diet and behavior in the wild

The main food of the small killer whale is fish. In zoology, moments of aggression of the species towards other underwater animals have not been recorded. From this we can conclude that the small killer whale does not pose as much danger as ordinary killer whales. In general, these 2 varieties are completely different from each other, not counting their external similarities. Due to the large differences, the black killer whale was also nicknamed false, with an emphasis on interspecific differences.

Small killer whales prefer a school life. Migration occurs rarely and only over short distances. This species is not characterized by a nomadic lifestyle.

The value of a species for humans

Hunting for killer whales is a rare occurrence, since they are not particularly valuable for human fishing. In most cases, small killer whales are caught in Japan, where all seafood is the favorite delicacy of local residents. In other countries, marine animals live in huge aquariums, where they are taught tricks. Performances with false killer whales are always met with great enthusiasm due to the beautiful performance.

The species has one distinctive feature - periodically some individuals are thrown onto land. This phenomenon creates a lot of controversy among scientists and ordinary people. A specific example: in 2005, many representatives of the species were thrown onto the land of Australia, its southwestern part. Almost the entire coast was strewn with black bodies. Then scientists were able to identify 4 groups of small killer whales, which were located at a distance of 300 meters from each other. Scientists have concluded that such divisions are ordinary pods of killer whales.

However, thanks to the quick reaction of caring people, mass extinction of the species was avoided. During the operation, only 1 individual died. About 1,500 people gathered to save the black killer whales.

In 2009, a massive stranding was also recorded on the coast of West Africa (Mauritania). The phenomenon was discovered early in the morning. Thanks to volunteers, black killer whales are back in the sea.

This behavior has not yet been studied. Scientists cannot come to a general conclusion regarding mass suicides of marine mammals. Because of this, new theories are emerging. The most logical and popular of them: active underwater processes occur in the Earth’s crust. Because of this, the behavior of killer whales changes dramatically. A person cannot study these phenomena, since they occur in the sea layer. However, if this theory is true, many other questions arise: why do only certain species react so strongly to underwater changes? For example, dolphins do not wash ashore en masse, as killer whales and whales do.

Species protection

The false killer whale has protected status due to a decline in numbers. One of the reasons for the decrease in the number of individuals is precisely the mass strandings on the shore.

Another factor is the person himself. In many countries where fishing flourishes, the killer whale is very valuable because of its tasty meat.

Individuals can ingest dangerous debris, which causes them to die in agony. Also, off the coast of Australia, black killer whales often become entangled in fishing nets.

Marine technology affects the health and life of killer whales. Like many members of the cetacean family, the killer whale has very sensitive hearing. The sound signals of ships damage the hearing aid.

Scientists predict changes in the climate of the entire planet, which will affect the lives of animals.

Video: Lesser killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens)

(Pseudorca crassidens)

an aquatic mammal of the dolphin family of the suborder of toothed whales. Body length of males up to 6 m(weigh up to 1.5 T), females up to 5 m(weigh up to 1 T). The color is black, there is a narrow white stripe on the belly. The head is rounded at the end. About 40 teeth, conical, up to 28 mm in diameter. Distributed in all temperate and warm waters of the World Ocean, in the USSR - near the Kuril ridge. It feeds on fish (including tuna) and cephalopods. Gives birth to 1 cub about 1.6-1.8 long m. Lives in herds. M. k. are kept in dolphinariums in the Hawaiian Islands, Japan and the USA. In captivity it is easy to train. It is not a commercial object.

Lit.: Tomilin A.G., Cetaceans, M., 1957 (Animals of the USSR and adjacent countries, vol. 9); Animal life, vol. 6, M., 1971.

- mor. mammal of the family dolphins. Dl. up to 10 m, weight up to 8 tons. Widely distributed. Predator, attacks whales, pinnipeds, penguins. K. is kept in aquariums...
Natural science. encyclopedic Dictionary
- marine mammal subfamily. dolphins...
Biological encyclopedic dictionary
- a sea animal from the family. dolphins, order of cetacean mammals...
Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Euphron
- an aquatic mammal of the dolphin family. Males are up to 10 m long, weigh up to 8 tons, females are up to 7 m long, weigh up to 4 tons. The color of the back and sides is black, the throat is white, there is a white longitudinal stripe on the belly...
- an aquatic mammal of the dolphin family of the suborder of toothed whales. The body length of males is up to 6 m, females up to 5 m. The color is black, there is a narrow white stripe on the belly. The head is rounded at the end...
Great Soviet Encyclopedia
- a marine mammal of the dolphin subfamily. Length up to 10 m, weighs up to 8 tons. Widely distributed. Predator, attacks whales, pinnipeds, penguins. Killer whales are kept in aquariums...
Large encyclopedic dictionary
- ; pl. braid/tki, R. braid/tok...
- R....
Spelling dictionary of the Russian language
- ORCA, - and, female. Cetacean predatory marine mammal of the dolphin species. Black killer whales...
Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary
- ORCA. see killer whale...
Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary
Explanatory Dictionary by Efremova
- killer whale I Large aquatic marine mammal of the dolphin subfamily. II 1. A commercial fish that lives in the fresh waters of Africa, South and East Asia. 2. The meat of such fish is eaten. 3...
Explanatory Dictionary by Efremova
- braid...
Russian spelling dictionary
- killer whale “swallow type”, see....
Vasmer's Etymological Dictionary
- killer whale, killer whale, killer whale - dear, sweetheart, dear, beauty; darling Wed. What to do with the money - of course, bury it for a rainy day... "In someone else's hand, a big piece, iris, and in another time the bread is gone." Grigorovich...
Mikhelson Explanatory and Phraseological Dictionary
- noun, number of synonyms: 5 dolphin killer whale -creak mammal fish...
Synonym dictionary

"Little Killer Whale" in books

MALAYA GRUINSKAYA, 28

From the book Vladimir Vysotsky without myths and legends author Bakin Viktor Vasilievich

MALAYA GRUINSKAYA, 28

Small war

From the book by Denis Davydov author Serebryakov Gennady Viktorovich

Small War We had to be on our guard all the time... The enemy constantly disturbed our communications beyond Gzhatsk and often interrupted them between Mozhaisk and Moscow... In these preludes everyone saw a harbinger of a new system, the purpose of which is to isolate us. It was impossible

"SMALL THREE"

From the book SMERSH in Tehran author Tereshchenko Anatoly Stepanovich

“THE LITTLE THREE” The political situation in the United States did not just develop around President F. Roosevelt’s idea of opening a second front in Europe and participation in the “Big Three” negotiation process on the post-war reconstruction of the world. Underwater reefs every now and then

Catherine "small"

From the book At the Head of Two Academies author Lozinskaya Liya Yakovlevna

Small war

From the book Notes of a Soviet War Correspondent author Soloviev Mikhail

Small war Potholes of existence Shooting, roaring, buzzing military equipment is only a particle of the huge machine of war. In my mind, the Soviet army is personified not in technology, but in a thin Soviet soldier dressed in rags and shod in tarpaulin. Gray soldier specks of dust, brought together

Small destiny

From the book The Only Chechen and Other Stories author Blazhko Anton

Small destiny - Get up, Seryoga! - a mushy hand with a joint wrapped in dirty plaster touched the sleeping man’s shoulder. “It’s time.” Muttering “aha,” he turned on his side, burrowing deeper into his sleeping bag. Even if you are a twice-career officer, it is difficult to open your eyes in the dawn

SMALL EARTH

From the book Egorova's Star author Nechai Petr Evlampievich

SMALL LAND For the second month, blood has been shed in the Tatras. The rebels are fighting with Hitler's divisions, collected by General Hoeffle from all fronts. From one side to the other, German tanks and infantry attack weakly armed units of the rebel army and partisan detachments.

PETROVICH AND SMALL HPP

From the book MY DIAMOND JOYS AND ANXIETY author SAVRASOV JEMS ILYICH

PETROVICH AND THE SMALL HYDRO POWER PLANT Alexander Petrovich was a rural doctor in the town of Morozovo, Verkhovazhsky district. His small hospital served about thirty villages and forest centers in the area in the north of the region. During the war years and until the end of the 50s, he was, apparently, the only

Squeaky killer whale (Pseudobagrus fulvidraco)

From the book Catching Popular Fish Species author Kataeva Irina Vladimirovna

Squeaky killer whale (Pseudobagrus fulvidraco) This is a small schooling fish. The body is elongated, conical, without scales. All of it is covered with poisonous mucus. In addition, there are sharp spines on the dorsal and pectoral fins, so handling the fish is unsafe. Dark green color on the belly

THE FASTEST MARINE MAMMAL - ORCA

From the book 100 Great Wildlife Records author Nepomnyashchiy Nikolai Nikolaevich

THE FASTEST MARINE MAMMAL - ORCA Killer whales (Orcinus orca) are mammals of the dolphin family of the suborder of toothed whales. The length reaches 5–10 m. Weight up to 8 tons. The dorsal and pectoral fins are very large. The head is short, somewhat flattened on top, without a beak. Top black

killer whale

From the book Encyclopedic Dictionary (K) author Brockhaus F.A.

Killer whale Killer whale is a sea animal from the family. dolphins (Delphinidae), order of cetacean mammals (Cetacea). K. (Orca gladiator Gr.) differs from other dolphins in its high, erect, saber-shaped dorsal fin. Not numerous (in the upper and lower jaws, 11 each

killer whale

From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (KO) by the author TSB

Lesser killer whale

From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (MA) by the author TSB

Black killer whale

From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (CHE) by the author TSB

killer whale

From the book I Explore the World. Wildlife from A to Z author Lyubarsky Georgy Yurievich

Killer whale Among the vast, completely peaceful tribe of dolphins, there is a huge animal that displays such predatory tendencies that English sailors nicknamed it the “killer whale.” The killer whale, and that’s what it’s called, is actually a dolphin, only very large: up to 10 m long And

(Mammalia) Order: Cetaceans Family: Dolphinidae Genus: Lesser killer whales (Pseudorca Reinhardt, 1862) Species: Lesser killer whale Rarity category: 4 - an uncertain status and poorly studied species, entering the territorial waters of Russia at the edge of its range.

Scientific name: Pseudorca crassidens Owen, 1846

Pseudorca crassidens Oven, 1846

Spreading: In Russian waters, the small killer whale is found only in the waters around the south. parts of the Kuril ridge; rare visits to the Sea of Japan and Baltic are possible. The general range of the species includes temperate and warm waters of the globe: in the Atlantic Ocean - from the North and Baltic seas and the North. Carolina to South Africa and Tierra del Fuego;

in the Pacific Ocean - from pcs. Washington and the Kuril Islands to Australia, Tasmania, the coast of Chile; in the Indian Ocean - from the Persian and Bengal halls. to the temperate water zone. In some regions of the World Ocean, the small killer whale is found in all months of the year, for example in the Mediterranean Sea - Cadiz Bay. . Migrations have been poorly studied and apparently do not have strict regularity, although they sometimes occur over long distances. It happened that small killer whales followed tuna fishing boats at a distance of more than a thousand miles

Habitat: The small killer whale is a purely gregarious species. Its food consists of schooling fish (cod, salmon, herring) and cephalopods, in pursuit of which it approaches the shores. Sexual maturity of females occurs at a body length of 349-346 cm, for males - 366-372 cm, when the teeth have from 8 to 14 dentin layers. Pregnancy up to 16 months, lactation period 18 months.

Newborns reach a length of 157-183 cm. The number of males and females in herds is approximately equal. There is a strong attachment between the sexes, which contributes to mass drying out. In captivity, intergeneric mating of a female killer whale with a male pilot whale and the production of 4 (3 of them stillborn) hybrid individuals from the crossing of a male killer whale with female bottlenose dolphins in the Japanese aquarium in Kamogawa were noted.

Number: In waters adjacent to Russian, the small killer whale is very common in the region. Kyu-Syu, less common - from the south. and east sides o. Honshu and rare in Fr. Hokkaido. The number in Russian waters has not been established. There is no special fishery; fishing is accidental, along with other species, as well as for oceanariums in the USA and Japan. Every year, 30-50 animals are caught in the tuna fishing nets of Japanese fishermen in the Pacific Ocean. Small killer whales have been kept for years in large dolphinariums and oceanariums in the USA and Japan.

The small killer whale, as a rule, does not live in waters with sea surface temperatures below 15°C, but the possibility of its rare visits to colder waters cannot be ruled out. During its movements, the lesser killer whale dries out on land more often than other cetaceans, sometimes in large herds (from single individuals to several hundred); in the largest herd, which dried out in Argentina on the beach of the town of Mar del Plata, 835 individuals died. The causes of drying out are complex, the leading one being animal diseases. The diseases have not been studied. Two types of helminths have been found: one is roundworms, the other is acanthocephalans.

Security: Listed in Appendix 2 of CITES, Appendix 2 of the Berne Convention. It is necessary to develop measures to prevent accidental or incidental killing of small killer whales

Photo. Public Domain. Sources: 1. Heptner et al., 1976; 2. Tomilin, 1957; 3. Aguayo, 1978; 4. Nishiwaki, 1967; 5. Ohsumi, 1972; 6. Bruyns, 1969; 7. Caldwell et al., 1970; 8. Mitchell, 1975; 9. Brown et al., 1966; 10. Nakajama, 1968; 11. Perrin, Reilly, 1984; 12. Klinowska, 1991; 13. Juice. Compiled by: A.G. Tomilin

The small killer whale is a separate species of the dolphin family.

Lesser killer whales have much larger teeth than killer whales, and in appearance they are similar to ordinary killer whales, but the size of lesser killer whales is a little more modest.

Appearance of a small killer whale

The body length of females is about 5 meters, and males grow up to 6 meters. The weight of the animals is from 970 to 1800 kilograms.

The small killer whale is almost black in color, with only gray color on the throat and neck. Due to this coloration, small killer whales are also called black killer whales. The lateral fins are pointed and narrow, and the fin on the back is crescent-shaped. The head has a conical shape. The teeth are very large and sharp. There are up to 44 teeth in the mouth.

Despite its name, the little killer whale is a massive animal.

Where do killer whales live?

The habitat of small killer whales extends to temperate and tropical waters of the World Ocean. These marine mammals are found in the Red Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Atlantic. In the Pacific Ocean, they live in latitudes from New Zealand to Japan. In the eastern Pacific Ocean, killer whales live off Cape Horn and the coast of Alaska. In the Indian Ocean, this species has chosen the eastern coast of Africa, as well as in the waters of southeastern and eastern Asia.

Diet and behavior of killer whales in nature

The diet of small killer whales consists of fish. Cases of attacks by this species on other marine mammals and on their relatives have not been recorded. This suggests that the lesser killer whale is much less bloodthirsty than the common killer whale. But these two species are completely different; they have practically nothing in common, apart from external similarities. In this regard, small killer whales are also called false killer whales, thereby focusing on the differences between the two species.

Listen to the voice of the killer whale

These marine mammals live in large schools. They migrate over short distances, that is, this species will not swim from the coast of Africa to the shores of Australia.

Killer whales are very intelligent mammals.

Commercial value of killer whales

Small killer whales have no commercial value for people. They are caught extremely rarely, mainly in Japanese waters. Small killer whales are kept in aquariums because they are very smart and amenable to training, which causes a lot of delight among spectators.

Interesting facts about small killer whales

An unsolved feature of the species is periodic mass strandings. For example, in 2005, several hundred small killer whales washed ashore in the waters of southwestern Australia, namely in Geographa Bay. Their black bodies filled almost the entire shore. 4 different groups were found on the shore, the distance between groups was approximately 300 meters. Most likely these were different flocks that, for some reason, sailed to the same coast.

Thanks to the efforts of local authorities, the poor animals were rescued and returned to the water. Human intervention helped avoid mass deaths of small killer whales. Of the total number, only one individual died. This rescue operation required the participation of 1,500 volunteers.

At the end of 2009, on the coast of West Africa, in Mauritania, small killer whales also washed ashore en masse. They were discovered early in the morning, and at 10 o’clock in the morning a huge number of volunteers gathered, whose efforts managed to clear the entire coast of small killer whales by 16 o’clock in the evening. But people did not have time to save 44 individuals this time.