Pilot whale
| Pilot whale | |
|---|---|
| |
| Short-finned pilot whale Globicephala macrorhynchus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom Information | |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Subkingdom | Bilateria |
| Phylum Information | |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Sub-phylum | Vertebrata |
| Infraphylum | Gnathostomata |
| Class Information | |
| Superclass | Tetrapoda |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Sub-class | Theriiformes |
| Infra-class | Holotheria |
| Order Information | |
| Superorder | Preptotheria |
| Order | Cetacea |
| Sub-order | Odontoceti |
| Family Information | |
| Superfamily | Delphinoidea |
| Family | Delphinidae |
| Sub-family | Globicephalinae |
| Genus Information | |
| Genus | Globicephala |
| Species Information | |
| Species | G. melas G. macrorhynchus |
| Population statistics | |
Pilot whale or blackfish refers to two species of toothed whale of the family Delphinidae, and found in the deep ocean world-wide.
Description
The pilot whale is the second-largest of the Delphinidae, with a length of 18 to 23 feet, and weigh 2,866 to 7,054 pounds. Females are slightly smaller than males, and between species, the long-fin pilot whale is slightly smaller than the short-fin, of which each species takes its name from the size of the fins. They are dark-gray to completely black in color, with some animals possessing a slightly-lighter gray saddle behind the dorsal fin and underneath just behind the chin. The dorsal fin is located rather forward on the back and is hooked towards the rear. The body is elongated but robust and narrows considerably near the tail.
Species
- Long-finned pilot whale, Globicephala melas
- Short-finned pilot whale, Globicephala macrorhynchus
Pilot whales prefer the open sea and are rarely found near the coast, the short-finned pilot whale preferring tropical and subtropical seas, while the long-finned pilot whale is more common in temperate and cold regions. Both species are often seen together where their ranges overlap.
Pilot whales sleep during the day and forage at night. Dives are 5 to 10 minutes long, reaching depths of up to 1,200 feet. Their diet consists mainly of cephalopods, but to a small extent they also prey on fish. These animals live in pods of an average of 20 animals, with some pods exceeding 100. An unproven belief that a pod follows a single leader led to the name "pilot whale" being given to them.
