Melon-headed whale
| Melon-headed whale | |
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| Size compared to an average human | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Infraorder: | Cetacea |
| Family: | Delphinidae |
| Genus: |
Peponocephala Nishiwaki & Norris, 1966 |
| Species: | P. electra |
| Binomial name | |
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Peponocephala electra (Gray, 1846) |
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| Melon-headed whale range | |
The melon-headed whale (species Peponocephala electra; other names are many-toothed blackfish, "melon whale" and electra dolphin) is a cetacean of the oceanic dolphin family (Delphinidae). Theorized in the 1970s, it is closely related to the pygmy killer whale and pilot whale, and collectively these dolphin species are known by the common name blackfish. It is also related to the false killer whale. The melon-headed whale is widespread throughout the world's tropical waters, although not often seen by humans because it prefers deep water.
The melon-headed whale has a body shape rather like a torpedo. Its head is a rounded cone giving the animal its common name. The body is more or less uniformly 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 – reminiscent of its relative the killer whale. When viewed in profile, its head is not as rounded as the pygmy killer whale and this may aid identification.
This whale is capable of very fast swimming, particularly when startled. In flight, it often makes short, low jumps clear of the sea surface, splashing lots of water. Melon-headed whales usually gather in large numbers (at least 100 and possibly as many as 1,000 on rare occasions) and sometimes strand together.
The melon-headed whale weighs 10–15 kg (22–33 lb) at birth and is 1 m (3.3 ft) long. An adult grows up to 3 m (9.8 ft) long and weighs over 200 kg (440 lb). The whales' lifespans are at least 20 years and probably more than 30 years for females.
Their primary diet is squid.
Hawaiian melon-headed whales spend much of their daytime at the surface resting.
Melon-headed whales are very social animals that live in large groups with anywhere between 100 and 1,000 of them. They have been observed swimming close to each other and touching flippers. Within the large group, they usually swim in smaller groups of 10-14.
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Wikipedia