Classification
- Order
- Cetacea
- Suborder
- Odontocete
- Family
- Delphinidae
- Genus
- Pseudorca
- Species
- Pseudorca Crassidens
Its body is elongated, with a fairly short head and an appealing appearance. The body is anthracite black, slightly paler on the underside. It has a very prominent dorsal fin, although smaller than that of the killer whale. A pale W-shaped patch on the chest also helps to distinguish it from the pilot whale. The maximum length is 6 metres, with a weight of 2 tonnes.
It favours warm, deep waters and is rarely sighted in semi-enclosed seas such as the Mediterranean.
It is an excellent breath-hold diver, although its performance is not well known. Sometimes it raises only its head out of the water and spends a long time observing its surroundings.
It prefers to feed on squid and large fish, but it is also known for its tendency to prey on groups of small cetaceans.
The typical family unit comprises 10 to 50 individuals, but the species' strong sociality is also shown by groups of several hundred animals.
