Melon-headed dolphin, Many-toothed blackfish, "melon whale", Electra dolphin, Little killer whale
The melon-headed whale (Peponocephala electra ), also, less commonly, known as the electra dolphin, little killer whale, or many-toothed blackfish, is a small- to medium-sized toothed whale of the oceanic dolphin family (Delphinidae). The common name is derived from the head shape. Melon-headed whales are widely distributed throughout deep tropical/subtropical waters worldwide, however they are rarely encountered at sea. They are found near shore mostly around oceanic islands, such as Hawaii, French Polynesia, and the Philippines.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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PiscivoresA piscivore is a carnivorous animal that eats primarily fish. Piscivorous is equivalent to the Greek-derived word ichthyophagous. Fish were the die...
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MolluscivoreA molluscivore is a carnivorous animal that specializes in feeding on molluscs such as gastropods, bivalves, brachiopods, and cephalopods. Known mo...
A planktivore is an aquatic organism that feeds on planktonic food, including zooplankton and phytoplankton. Phytoplankton are usually photosynthet...
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AquaticAn aquatic animal is an animal, either vertebrate or invertebrate, which lives in water for most or all of its life. It may breathe air or extract ...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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NatatorialNatatorial animals are those adapted for swimming. Some fish use their pectoral fins as the primary means of locomotion, sometimes termed labriform...
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NomadicNomadic animals regularly move to and from the same areas within a well-defined range. Most animals travel in groups in search of better territorie...
Among animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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SocialHighly social animals are those which are highly interactive with other members of their species. They live in large groups, nest in colonies, and ...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe Melon-headed whale belongs to the oceanic dolphin family. It is closely related to the Pygmy killer whale and Pilot whale. Collectively these dolphin species are known by the common name blackfish. Melon-headed whales have a rounded cone head which gives the animal its common name. The color of the body is light grey except for a dark grey face – sometimes called the "mask". The flippers are long and pointed. The dorsal fin is tall with a pointed tip.
Melon-headed whales are found beyond the continental shelf between 20°S and 20°N. Most commonly they occur in the Philippines Sea. Individuals have also been sighted off the southern coast of Ireland. Melon-headed whales live far from shore in all the world's tropical and subtropical oceans. At the northern fringes of their range, they may also be found in temperate waters.
Melon-headed whales are very social animals. They live in large groups numbering between 100 and 1,000. Within these large groups, they usually swim in smaller groups of 10-14. They have been seen swimming close to each other and touching flippers. Groups of the Melon-headed whales mix with groups of Fraser’s dolphins and socialize with them. They also associate with Humpback whales and Pilot whales. Melon-headed whales spend much of their daytime at the surface resting. When resting near the surface, they create large splashes when they break the water. Several of them rise vertically out of the water to observe their surroundings and then splash back down. This technique is known as spy hopping. These whales are capable of very fast swimming, particularly when startled. In flight, they often make short, low jumps clear of the sea surface, splashing lots of water.
Melon-headed whales are carnivorous. They typically feed on squid and small fish.
Little is known about the reproductive behavior or breeding habits of Melon-headed whales. It is suggested that calves are born year round. Gestation period probably lasts about 12 months after which a single calf is born. At birth calf weighs 10–15 kg (22–33 lb) and is 1 m (3.3 ft) long. Calves are capable of swimming soon after birth. It is known that Melon-headed whales reach reproductive maturity at around 4 years of age.
Melon-headed whales are not hunted specifically, however, they are accidentaly caught in fishing nets or occasionally hunted by fisheries in coastal Japan. This species, like other beaked whales, is likely to suffer from sounds, produced by navy sonar and seismic exploration equipment. Pollution and climate change are another threats to this species.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of the Melon-headed whale is unknown. However, there are estimated populations of the species in the following areas: eastern tropical Pacific - 45,400 whales; Gulf of Mexico - 3,451 whales; Hawaii - 2,947 whales; eastern Sulu Sea (Philippines) - 921 whales. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...