FALSE KILLER WHALE (Pseudorca crassidens) - ©Andre Seale/Splashdowndirect.com
The False Killer Whale is a cetacean, and the third largest member of the oceanic dolphin family (Delphinidae). It lives in temperate and tropical waters throughout the world. As its name implies, the False Killer Whale shares characteristics such as appearance with the more widely known Orca (killer whale). Like the orca, the False Killer Whale attacks and kills other cetaceans. However, the two dolphin species are not closely related.
The False Killer Whale has not been extensively studied in the wild; much of the data about it has been derived by examining stranded animals.
The False Killer Whale appears to have a widespread, if small, presence in temperate and tropical oceanic waters. They have been sighted in fairly shallow waters such as the Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea as well as the Atlantic Ocean (from Scotland to Argentina), the Indian Ocean (in coastal regions and around the Lakshwadweep islands) and the Pacific Ocean (from the Sea of Japan to New Zealand and the tropical area of the eastern side), and also in Hawaii. The population is currently on the brink of extinction; only 10 known groups are left. The eastern Pacific is estimated to have in excess of 40,000 individuals and is probably the home of the largest grouping.
A false killer whale and a bottlenose dolphin mated in captivity and produced a fertile calf. The hybrid offspring has been called a “wholphin”.
Fact Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_killer_whale
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