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Globicephala
Pilot whales are cetaceans belonging to the genus ''Globicephala''. The two extant species are the long-finned pilot whale (''G. melas'') and the short-finned pilot whale (''G. macrorhynchus''). The two are not readily distinguishable at sea, and analysis of the skulls is the best way to distinguish between the species. Between the two species, they range nearly worldwide, with long-finned pilot whales living in colder waters and short-finned pilot whales living in tropical and subtropical waters. Pilot whales are among the largest of the oceanic dolphins, exceeded in size only by the orca. They and other large members of the dolphin family are also known as blackfish. Pilot whales feed primarily on squid, but will also hunt large demersal fish such as cod and turbot. They are highly social and may remain with their birth pod throughout their lifetime. Short-finned pilot whales are one of the few non-primate mammal species in which females go through menopause, and postreprodu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Long-finned Pilot Whale
The long-finned pilot whale, or pothead whale (''Globicephala melas'') is a large species of oceanic dolphin. It shares the genus ''Pilot whale, Globicephala'' with the short-finned pilot whale (''Globicephala macrorhynchus''). Long-finned pilot whales are known as such because of their unusually long pectoral fins. Taxonomy and naming Etymology Pilot whales get their name from the original belief that there was a "pilot" or lead individual in their groups.Olson, P.A. (2008). "Pilot whale ''Globicephala melas'' and ''G. muerorhynchus''". pp. 847–52 in ''Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals''. Perrin, W. F., Wursig, B., and Thewissen, J. G. M. (eds.). Academic Press; 2nd edition. Ridgway, S. H. (1998). ''Handbook of Marine Mammals: The second book of dolphins and the porpoises''. Volume 6, Elsevier. pp. 245–69. The name for the genus, "''Globicephala''" is derived from a combination of Latin ''globus'' ("globe") and Greek ''kephale'' ("head"). The specific name "''melas''" is Gre ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Globicephala Melas
The long-finned pilot whale, or pothead whale (''Globicephala melas'') is a large species of oceanic dolphin. It shares the genus '' Globicephala'' with the short-finned pilot whale (''Globicephala macrorhynchus''). Long-finned pilot whales are known as such because of their unusually long pectoral fins. Taxonomy and naming Etymology Pilot whales get their name from the original belief that there was a "pilot" or lead individual in their groups.Olson, P.A. (2008). "Pilot whale ''Globicephala melas'' and ''G. muerorhynchus''". pp. 847–52 in ''Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals''. Perrin, W. F., Wursig, B., and Thewissen, J. G. M. (eds.). Academic Press; 2nd edition. Ridgway, S. H. (1998). ''Handbook of Marine Mammals: The second book of dolphins and the porpoises''. Volume 6, Elsevier. pp. 245–69. The name for the genus, "''Globicephala''" is derived from a combination of Latin ''globus'' ("globe") and Greek ''kephale'' ("head"). The specific name "''melas''" is Greek for "blac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Short-finned Pilot Whale
The short-finned pilot whale (''Globicephala macrorhynchus'') is one of the two species of cetaceans in the genus ''Pilot whale, Globicephala'', which it shares with the long-finned pilot whale (''G. melas''). It is part of the oceanic dolphin family (biology), family (Delphinidae). It has a Cosmopolitan distribution, worldwide distribution with a global population of about 700,000, and there may be 3 or 4 distinct populations—two in the Pacific and one in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Its range is moving northward due to global warming. In the Pacific, males average and females . It generally has a stocky build with black to dark gray or brown skin, and can be distinguished from its counterpart by shorter flippers, fewer teeth, and a shorter beak. It is thought to pursue fast-moving squid typically at a depth of , but the maximum recorded depth is . The short-finned pilot whale has been reported as being highly playful and social. It typically travels in pods of 10–30 m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Globicephala Macrorhynchus
The short-finned pilot whale (''Globicephala macrorhynchus'') is one of the two species of cetaceans in the genus ''Globicephala'', which it shares with the long-finned pilot whale (''G. melas''). It is part of the oceanic dolphin family (Delphinidae). It has a worldwide distribution with a global population of about 700,000, and there may be 3 or 4 distinct populations—two in the Pacific and one in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Its range is moving northward due to global warming. In the Pacific, males average and females . It generally has a stocky build with black to dark gray or brown skin, and can be distinguished from its counterpart by shorter flippers, fewer teeth, and a shorter beak. It is thought to pursue fast-moving squid typically at a depth of , but the maximum recorded depth is . The short-finned pilot whale has been reported as being highly playful and social. It typically travels in pods of 10–30 members, usually family, but has been observed moving in g ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oceanic Dolphin
Oceanic dolphins or Delphinidae are a widely distributed family of dolphins that live in the sea. Close to forty extant species are recognised. They include several big species whose common names contain "whale" rather than "dolphin", such as the Globicephalinae (round-headed whales, which include the false killer whale and pilot whale). Delphinidae is a family within the superfamily Delphinoidea, which also includes the porpoises (Phocoenidae) and the Monodontidae ( beluga whale and narwhal). River dolphins are relatives of the Delphinoidea. Oceanic dolphins range in size from the and Maui's dolphin to the and orca, the largest known dolphin. Several species exhibit sexual dimorphism; the males are larger than females. They have streamlined muscular bodies and two limbs that are modified into flippers. Though not quite as flexible as seals, some dolphins can travel at speeds 29 km/h (18 mph) for short distances. Most delphinids primarily eat fish, along wit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Globicephala Etruriae
''Globicephala etruriae'' is an extinct species of pilot whale from the Pliocene of Italy. The type specimen was found in the Piacenzian coastal claystone at Volterra Volterra (; Latin: ''Volaterrae'') is a walled mountaintop town in the Tuscany region of Italy. Its history dates from before the 8th century BC and it has substantial structures from the Etruscan, Roman, and Medieval periods. History .... It was named in 1987 by G. Pilleri. References etruriae Pliocene animals of Europe {{paleo-whale-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Blackfish
Blackfish is a common name for various species of fishes and cetaceans, including: Fish * Alaska blackfish (''Dallia pectoralis''), an Esocidae, esocid from Alaska, Siberia, and the Bering Sea islands * Black fish (''Carassioides acuminatus''), a cyprinid from China and Vietnam * Black ruff (''Centrolophus niger'') * Black sea bass (''Centropristis striata'') * Black triggerfish * Cornish blackfish (''Schedophilus medusophagus'') * ''Gadopsis'', two Australian freshwater fish: ** River blackfish (''G. marmoratus'') ** Two-spined blackfish (''G. bispinosus'') * Galjoen (''Dichistius capensis'') * Imperial blackfish (''Schedophilus ovalis'') * Japanese black porgy (''Acanthopagrus schlegelii''), a large sea bream often cultivated in aquaculture * Parore (''Girella tricuspidata'') * Sacramento blackfish (''Orthodon microlepidotus'') * Tautog (''Tautoga onitis'') Dolphins *Pilot whales (''Globicephala'') *Melon-headed whale (''Peponocephala electra'') *False killer whale (''Pseudorca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Orca
The orca (''Orcinus orca''), or killer whale, is a toothed whale and the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family. The only extant species in the genus '' Orcinus'', it is recognizable by its black-and-white-patterned body. A cosmopolitan species, it inhabits a wide range of marine environments, from Arctic to Antarctic regions to tropical seas. Orcas are apex predators with a diverse diet. Individual populations often specialize in particular types of prey, including fish, sharks, rays, and marine mammals such as seals, dolphins, and whales. They are highly social, with some populations forming stable matrilineal family groups (pods). Their sophisticated hunting techniques and vocal behaviors, often unique to specific groups and passed down from generation to generation, are considered to be manifestations of animal culture. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the orca's conservation status as data deficient as multiple orca types ma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cetacean Stranding
Cetacean stranding, commonly known as beaching, is a phenomenon in which whales and dolphins strand themselves on land, usually on a beach. Beached whales often die due to dehydration, collapsing under their own weight, or drowning when high tide covers the blowhole (anatomy), blowhole. Cetacean stranding has occurred since before recorded history. Several explanations for why cetaceans strand themselves have been proposed, including changes in water temperatures, peculiarities of whales' Animal echolocation, echolocation in certain surroundings, and geomagnetic disturbances, but none have so far been universally accepted as a definitive reason for the behavior. However, a link between the mass beaching of beaked whales and use of mid-frequency active sonar has been found. Whales that die due to stranding can subsequently decay and bloat to the point where they can exploding whale, explode, causing gas and their internal organs to fly out. Species Every year, up to 2,000 anima ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Evolution Of Cetaceans
The evolution of cetaceans is thought to have begun in the Indian subcontinent from even-toed ungulates (Artiodactyla) 50 million years ago (mya) and to have proceeded over a period of at least 15 million years. Cetaceans are fully aquatic mammals belonging to the order Artiodactyla and branched off from other artiodactyls around 50 Year#Abbreviations yr and ya, mya. Cetaceans are thought to have evolved during the Eocene (56-34 mya), the second epoch of the present-extending Cenozoic Era. Molecular and morphological analyses suggest Cetacea share a relatively recent closest common ancestor with hippopotamus, hippopotamuses and that they are sister groups. Being mammals, they surface to breathe air; they have five finger bones (even-toed) in their fins; they nurse their young; and, despite their fully aquatic life style, they retain many skeletal features from their terrestrial ancestors.Thewissen, J. G. M., L. N. Cooper, J. C. George, and S. Bajpai. 2009. From land to wa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
