Small or black killer whale (lat. Pseudorca crassidens) is found in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Most often it is seen by residents of Japan and China, near the shores of which 16 thousand representatives of the species live. A little more than a thousand individuals swim in the Gulf of Mexico, three hundred are near the Hawaiian Islands, but almost 40 thousand small killer whales live in the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean.

Usually these, in general, thermophilic creatures do not swim where the water temperature drops below 15 degrees. On the territory of the CIS, they can be found near the Kuril Islands and in the Baltic Sea.
They differ from other representatives of the dolphin family by a small thickened head without a beak, a melon-shaped forehead and a deeply incised crescent-shaped dorsal fin. Their general body color is dark gray or black. There is a white stripe on the ventral side. Some individuals have a paler gray color on the sides and on the head.

The body length of small killer whales is from 3.5 to 6 m. At the same time, males are slightly larger than females. They weigh from 950 to 1850 kg. The physique is strong, the shape of the body is spindle-shaped, the pectoral fins are sharp, the height of the dorsal one ranges from 18 to 40 cm. Usually its length is 10 times less than the total size of the body.

Black killer whales live in large herds, which in turn are divided into groups of 30-40 individuals. Males and females are approximately equally divided. The peak of breeding occurs at the end of winter - early spring. At this time, the females give birth to one 80-kilogram calf with a body length of one and a half to 1.9 m.

The cub is born well-developed and able to move independently. He tries to be with his mother all the time. Lactation lasts almost a year and a half, after its termination, the grown baby remains in the mother's social group.

Adult black killer whales feed on squid and various predatory fish such as perch, mackerel, salmon or herring. Fishing vessels are often chased, hoping for their share of the catch. Unfortunately, sometimes they get entangled in networks and die.

In Japan and the Caribbean, small killer whales are hunted for meat and fat. Near the Japanese island of Ikiv from 1965 to 1980. over 900 members of the species were killed. However, the biggest threat to killer whales is the massive fish catch, which leads to nutritional deficiencies.

Like other whales, they communicate with each other using a complex system of sounds. They have shrill squeals, whistles or less distinct pulsating sounds in their arsenal. Most often, their echolocation is in the range of 20-60 kHz, very rarely - 100-130 kHz.

The appearance of black killer whales is always unexpected. Usually they come to the shore in numerous herds, chasing schools of fish. Sometimes they are also "amicably" thrown ashore. The most widespread "suicides" were reported on the beaches of Ceylon and Zanzibar, as well as along the coasts of Scotland and Great Britain. In 1946, in Argentina, near the resort of Mar del Plata, 835 black killer whales washed ashore.

In the wild, males of this species live for almost 58 years, females - 5 years longer. Little killer whales are often kept in large aquariums and dolphinariums, where they demonstrate miracles of training.

In the previous sections, we have already discussed aquatic mammals, in particular dolphins. Now we are returning to this topic again, because it is impossible to ignore the individual representatives of this family, such interesting and highly intelligent creatures living next to us. This article is about black killer whale - one of the three species of killer whales that exist on Earth.

Black killer whale and its habitat

Black killer whale , or as it is also sometimes called the little killer whale (Latin Pseudorca crassidens), as mentioned above, is an exclusively aquatic creature, belongs to the kingdom Animals, type Chordates, subtype Vertebrates, class Mammals, order Cetaceans, family Dolphins and monotypic genus Small killer whales, that is, to a genus consisting of only one species. This view, as you probably already understood, is itself black killer whale.

These mammals are widely distributed throughout the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans. These animals are often found in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, Peru, the Philippines and the Indo-Malay Archipelago. They can also be seen in the Sea of ​​Japan and in the north of the Yellow Sea. In addition, this species of killer whale lives along the coasts of the Red and Mediterranean Seas, near the Bay of Biscay and British Columbia. Small populations of these aquatic mammals are found in the Gulf of Mexico and around the Hawaiian Islands.

Appearance

Outwardly, these dolphins are quite remarkable and got their name due to their color. The main color of their body is black or very dark gray with a contrasting white stripe on the belly. The body itself black killer whales has an elongated shape, smoothly flowing into a small melon-shaped head. Their pectoral fins are rather long, pointed in shape, and their well-defined dorsal fin is located exactly in the middle of the back and is more like a sickle in shape. It must be said that the dorsal fin of these killer whales with a clearly visible central notch is about ten times shorter than the body length and can reach forty cm in height.

Overall physique black killer whales more powerful than other members of the Dolphin family. Sexual dimorphism of these animals is well expressed; males are noticeably larger and more massive than females. The size of adult males is 3.7 to 6.1 meters in length, and females are approximately 3.5 to 5 meters. Body weight varies from 920 to 1840 kilograms. Cubs are born with a weight of about eighty kilograms and a length of up to 1.9 meters.

Behavior and lifestyle

Dwelling in temperate and tropical seas, black killer whales often swim to the shore, but most of the time they spend at great depths. Their deep-sea diving capabilities are impressive, as they descend to a depth of two kilometers! Lesser killer whales are gregarious animals, kept in large social groups, consisting of representatives of very different ages and sometimes reaching several hundred individuals in number. Within large groups, there is a certain division into smaller subgroups, including several dozen members.

Many people know such a phenomenon among killer whales, including among small ones, as a massive throwing on land with their subsequent death, however, heated debates are going on around this phenomenon, and its causes are currently not yet fully understood and not clear.

Just like other dolphins, black killer whales in everyday life, they use echolocation, and for the purpose of communication, they are able to emit a whole range of different sounds. Sometimes their shrill whistle is heard under water when an animal is found up to 200 meters deep.

In accordance with the nature of their feeding, small killer whales are carnivores, i.e. to predators. Their main diet is squid and various types of fish such as salmon, perch, herring and mackerel. Sometimes they hunt pinniped mammals such as sea lions and seals.

The so-called mating season black killer whales does not exist. These animals can reproduce all-season throughout the year, but in late winter and early spring this happens more often. Pregnancy in females lasts from eleven to fifteen and a half months, resulting in the birth of only one cub. After birth, the baby remains under the care of the mother until 18 - 24 months and all this time feeds on her high-calorie fat milk. At the same age, the mother begins to gradually transfer him to adult food. Right after birth, little whales can move independently under water, and as a rule, they stay with their mothers in the same groups until the end of their lives.

Males reach sexual maturity at about eight to ten years of age, and females at about 8 to 11 years of age. After the birth of the cub, the next pregnancy in the female can occur only after about seven years. Unlike other types of aquatic mammals black killer whales are able to interbreed not only with the opposite sex of their species, but also with dolphins of the Afalina genus, as a result of which hybrid babies are born, called orca dolphins. The life span of small killer whales in nature is on average fifty-eight years for males, and for females a little longer - about sixty-three years.

Well, we met with another amazing species of the Dolphin family - with black killer whale. Hopefully it was interesting to you. As always, I do not say goodbye to you, because we still have many interesting stories and new discoveries ahead of us, because the planet Earth has sheltered a huge number of various living beings, which means that we will always have something to talk about.

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 can reach 5 meters, and that of males - up to 6 meters. Body weight varies from 980 to 180 kg.

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

Habitat

The Lesser Killer Whale prefers a temperate and tropical climate in the World Ocean. This species can often be found in the Mediterranean and Red Seas, in the Atlantic. The marine mammal inhabits the territory from the shores 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 east 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 little killer whale is fish. In zoology, moments of aggression of the species on other underwater animals have not been recorded. From this we can conclude that the small killer whale does not pose a great danger, like the ordinary killer whales. In general, these 2 varieties are completely different from each other, apart from external similarities. Due to the large differences, the black killer whale was also called false, with an emphasis on interspecific difference.

Lesser killer whales prefer a schooling life. Migration is rare and only over short distances. This species is not characterized by a nomadic lifestyle.

The value of the species for humans

Hunting for killer whales is a rare occurrence, since they are not of particular value for human fishery. In most cases, small killer whales are caught in Japan, where all seafood is a favorite delicacy of the locals. In other countries, marine animals live in huge aquariums, where they are taught tricks. Performances with mock killer whales are always greeted with great enthusiasm due to their 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 concrete example: in 2005, many members of the species were thrown onto the land of Australia, the southwestern part of it. 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 concluded that such divisions are ordinary schools of killer whales.

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

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

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

Species protection

The false killer whale has a conservation status due to the decline in numbers. One of the reasons for the decrease in the number of individuals, just, is the massive washing ashore.

Another factor is the person himself. In many countries where fishing is thriving, the little killer whale is very valuable for its delicious meat.

Individuals can swallow dangerous debris, due to which they die in agony. Also off the coast of Australia, black killer whales often get 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. Sound signals from 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)

LITTLE CAT

Pseudorca crassidens

VERTEBRATA - VERTEBRATA Detachment:Cetaceans - Cetacea Family:Dolphin - Delphinidae Genus: Pseudorca Oven, 1846

Spreading: In the waters of Russia, 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 the Baltic are possible. The general range of the species includes temperate and warm waters of the Earth: in the Atlantic Ocean - from the North and Baltic Seas and 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 zone of temperate waters. In some areas of the World Ocean, the small killer whale is found in all months of the year, for example, in the Mediterranean Sea - the Cadiz Hall. ... Migrations are poorly studied, apparently they do not have strict regularity, although they sometimes occur over long distances. Little killer whales have sometimes followed tuna boats for over 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, males - 366-372 cm when there are 8 to 14 dentin layers in the teeth. 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 the same. There is a strong bond between the sexes, which leads to massive drying out. In captivity, intergeneric mating of a female killer whale with a male grind was noted and 4 (3 of them stillborn) hybrid individuals were obtained from the crossing of a male killer whale with female bottlenose dolphins in the Japanese aquarium in Kamogawa.

Number:In the waters adjacent to the Russian waters, the small killer whale is very common in the region. Kyu-Syu, less common - from the south. and east. sides about. Honshu and rare in Fr. Hokkaido. The abundance in the waters of Russia has not been established. There is no special fishery, fishing is occasional, associated with other species, as well as for the oceanariums of the United States and Japan. Every year 30-50 animals end up in the tuna nets of Japanese fishermen in the Pacific Ocean. Killer whales have been kept in large dolphinariums and oceanariums in the United States and Japan for years. The little killer whale, as a rule, does not live in waters with a sea surface temperature below 15 ° C, but the possibility of its rare visits to colder waters is not excluded. During its movements, the small killer whale dries up more often than other cetaceans on land, sometimes in large herds (from single individuals to several hundred); in the largest herd, dried up in Argentina on the beach of the town of Mar del Plata, 835 individuals died. The reasons for drying are complex, among them the leading one is animal diseases. Diseases have not been studied. Found 2 types of helminths: one - roundworms, the other - scrapers.

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-wittedness and playful disposition. She has high adaptive abilities to small closed waters and phenomenal learning ability. Small killer whales are a favorite animal of trainers and spectators of aquariums. Therefore, she deserves that our knowledge about her was a little wider.

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

the length of an adult is 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 side of the belly. The body is cigar-shaped, streamlined, flattened from above. 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 habitat of the animal is quite extensive. These are mainly warm and temperate waters of the World Ocean. In the Atlantic, killer whales keep in the coastal lines of Argentina, Mexico, 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 it is found even in the waters of the Kuril Islands.

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

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

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

The suspected enemies of killer whales are sharks and other species of killer whales, but their attacks have been recorded in isolated cases. Pathological discharges of animals to the shore, in whole groups, pose a great danger to the population of the species. The real scourge, however, is 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.