(DRAFT) - Taxonomy
Species whale, killer
Species Id M120021
Date 26 AUG 96
TAXONOMY
NAME - whale, killer
OTHER COMMON NAMES - grampus orca
ELEMENT CODE - 03/16/84
AOU CODE - 04/26/85
CATEGORY - Marine Mammals
PHYLUM AND SUBPHYLUM - Chordata, Vetebrata
CLASS AND SUBCLASS - Mammalia, Theria
ORDER AND SUBORDER - Cetacea, Odontoceti
FAMILY AND SUBFAMILY - Delphinidae,
GENUS AND SUBGENUS - Orcinus,
SPECIES AND SSP - orca,
SCIENTIFIC NAME - Orcinus orca
AUTHORITY - Linnaeus 1758
TAXONOMY REFERENCES - 2094 and 2093
COMMENTS ON TAXONOMY -
Other scientific name is Grampus orca *1043*
Taxonomy - 1 (DRAFT) - Status
Species whale, killer
Species Id M120021
Date 26 AUG 96
STATUS
Coded Status
Marine Mammal
REFERENCES FOR STATUS - 1029 and 1033
Status - 1 (DRAFT) - Distribution
Species whale, killer
Species Id M120021
Date 26 AUG 96
DISTRIBUTION
References on County Occurrence - AO1
REFERENCES FOR HYDROLOGIC UNIT CODES - AO1
REFERENCES FOR OTHER DISTRIBUTION - G
Distribution - 1 HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS
HABITAT - Aquatic
REFERENCES FOR HABITAT - 1033
LAND USE -
Water
Atlantic Ocean Coastal Waters
REFERENCES FOR LAND USE - 2094, 1033 and 1043
NATIONAL WETLAND INVENTORY CODES
NWI NWICLS NWIMOD NWISPEC
Marine, subtidal OW0
Estuarine, subtidal OW0
REFERENCES FOR NWI - 2094 and 1043
ANIMAL/PLANT SPECIES ASSOCIATIONS -
Parasites: Fasciola skriabini
Trigonocotyle spasskyi
Phyllobothrium sp.
Anisakis simplex *1030*
REFERENCES FOR SPECIES ASSOCIATIONS - 1030
Habitat Associations - 1 (DRAFT) - Food Habits
Species whale, killer
Species Id M120021
Date 26 AUG 96
FOOD HABITS
TROPHIC LEVEL -
Carnivore
REFERENCES FOR TROPHIC LEVEL - 2094, 1048, 1037, 1033 and 1043
LIFESTAGE FOOD FOOD PART
General Animals Not Applicable
General Animals Adult stage
General Molluscs Adult stage
General Squid, Octopus Adult stage
General Osteichthyes Not Applicable
General Reptilia Not Applicable
General Testudines Not Applicable
General Mammalia Not Applicable
General Aves Not Applicable
General Gadiformes Adult stage
General Osteichthyes Adult stage
General Clupeiformes Adult stage
General Salmoniformes Adult stage
General Delphinidae Adult stage
General Balaenopteridae Juvenile stage
General Animals Juvenile stage
General Otariidae Not Applicable
General Phocidae Not Applicable
Important Animals Not Applicable
REFERENCES FOR GENERAL FOOD - 1043, 1048, 1037, 1033 and 2094
REFERENCES FOR IMPORTANT FOOD - 1033
Food Habits - 1 (DRAFT) - Environment Associations
Species whale, killer
Species Id M120021
Date 26 AUG 96
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS
G = General A = Adult
LIM = Limiting RA = Resting Adult
J = Juvenile FA = Feeding Adult
RJ = Resting Juvenile BA = Breeding Adult
FJ = Feeding Juvenile P = Pupae
L = Larvae E = Egg
RL = Resting Larvae
FL = Feeding Larvae
LIFESTAGE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS
G Aquatic Habitat Zonation: Open water [pelagic zone]
LIM Aquatic Habitat Zonation: Open water [pelagic zone]
REFERENCES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOC_ - 2094 and 1043
REFERENCES FOR LIMITING ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOC_ - 2094, 1043 and 1033
Environment Associations - 1 (DRAFT) - Life History
Species whale, killer
Species Id M120021
Date 26 AUG 96
LIFE HISTORY
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: males are 20-30 feet long, females
are much shorter; dorsal fin is large (up to 6.5 feet in males);
flippers are very large and oval; tail fluke spread is 1/5 body length;
black with a large white area on the underside from the lower jaw to the
anus with a branch on the flanks behind the dorsal fin; there is an oval
white patch behind the eye; on both jaws there are 12 teeth, they are
conical, oval in cross section, and 13 cm long; vertebral formula is
C7+T11-12+L10+Ca21-24=50-52; phalangeal formula is I:2, II:7, III:5,
IV:4, V:3 *2094,1037,1035,1043*; REPRODUCTION: breeding season is
November to January; gestation lasts 1 year; 1 offspring/reproductive
period/year; females mature at 4 years of age; males are polygamous
*1037,1035,1044,1043*; BEHAVIOR: herds are small 3-60; very fast
swimmer; herds often segregate with respect to sex and age; hunts in
groups and plans a strategy to dislodge or panic prey *2094,1048*
REFERENCES FOR LIFE HISTORY- 2094, 1037, 1035, 1043, 1044 and 1048
Life History - 1 (DRAFT) - Management Practices
Species whale, killer
Species Id M120021
Date 26 AUG 96
MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
RESULT MANAGEMENT PRACTICE
Beneficial Regulating harvest of species being described
Beneficial Prohibiting harvest of species being described
Beneficial Public education - publicity
Beneficial Public education - law enforcement
Existing Regulating harvest of species being described
Existing Prohibiting harvest of species being described
Existing Public education - publicity
Existing Public education - law enforcement
REFERENCES FOR BENEFICIAL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES - 1048
REFERENCES FOR EXISTING MANAGEMENT PRACTICES - 1048
Management Practices - 1 (DRAFT) - References
Species whale, killer
Species Id M120021
Date 26 AUG 96
References
276 * Harvey, James T., David L. Stein. 1986. The State of
Scientific Information Relating to the Biology and Ecology of
the Gorda Ridge Study Area, Northeast Pacific Ocean: Nekton.
(0-86-7) (ed.). Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral
Industries Portland, Oregon:131.
1029* (ed.). Checklist of Virginia marine mammals. Virginia
Assoc. Res. Campus 12.
1030* Dailey, M.D., Brownell, R.L., Jr. 1972. A checklist of
marine mammal parasites. Mammals of the Sea: Biology and
Medicine Ridgeway, S. H. Charles C. Thomas Publ. Springfield,
Ill:528-529.
1033* Gunderson, H.L. 1976. Mammalogy. McGraw-Hill Inc. New
York, N.Y:117-120.
1035* Martin, R.M. 1977. Mammals of the Oceans. G.P. Putnam's
Sons New York, N.Y:44-82.
1037* Nishiwaki, M. 1972. General biology. Mammals of the Sea:
Biology and Medicine Ridgeway, S. H. Charles C. Thomas Publ.
Springfield, Ill:3-204.
1043* Schmidly, D.J. 1981. Marine mammals of the southeastern
United States and the Gulf of Mexico. (41). U.S. Fish and Wildl.
Serv., Off. Biol. Serv. Washington, D.C:163.
1044* Slijper, E.J. 1979. Whales. Cornell Univ. Press Ithica,
N.Y:384-385.
1048* Serv., National Marine Fisheries. 1981. Marine mammal
protection act of 1972. Annual report.. U.S. Dep. Comm., Natl.
Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin. Washington, D.C:143.
2093* Hershkovitz, P. 1966. Catalog of living whales. Bull. 246.
Smithsonian Instit. Washington, D.C:260.
2094* Leatherwood, S., Caldwell, D.K., Winn, H.E. 1976. Whales,
dolphins, and porpoises of the western North Atlantic. A guide
to their identification. Marine Fish. Serv. Circ. 396. Natl.
Oceanic Atmos. Adm. Washington, D.C:176.
References - 1