Photo: Ricardo Fernandes · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Description
- 📏 4 to 6 m
- 🌊 open water, in groups
- 🛡️ Near Threatened (IUCN)
The false killer whale is a large dolphin that is entirely dark, with a rounded head and no beak. It travels in tight-knit groups, sometimes large, and may approach boats. It feeds on fish and squid. It is rare in the lagoon but may be seen out at sea.
Did you know?
Its name comes from the shape of its skull, similar to that of the killer whale, but it does not have the latter's black-and-white back.
Source: Etymology of the scientific name
The Tahitian name of this species is not yet confirmed in our sources.
Tahitian names: sources being verified. French name: Fausse orque.
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