False Killer Whale

Pseudorca crassidens

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Cetartiodactyla
Family: Delphinidae
Genus: Pseudorca
Species: Pseudorca crassidens

The false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens) is a large, slender, almost entirely dark oceanic dolphin with a tapered, rounded head and a characteristic S-shaped bend or hump on the leading edge of each flipper. Males can reach about 6 m.

It is a fast, active predator of large fish such as tuna and mahi-mahi as well as squid, and groups are known to share prey among individuals. Pods are highly social and may travel spread out over several kilometres.

In the Philippines false killer whales are recorded in deep waters including the Bohol Sea and Sulu Sea, sometimes in mixed groups with other dolphins. They are seen mostly from boats on offshore trips.

Photo: tunicatedreamz, CC BY 4.0, via iNaturalist