General Description
Dark brownish-grey to black. A light grey patch behind the dorsal fin and a light grey stripe above the eye extending towards the dorsal region. Rounded head. Very long and slender flippers. Up to 6.7 m long.
Biology
Long-finned Pilot Whales are very social and live in pods of 20 to 100 individuals. Breeding occurs throughout the year and females give birth to a single offspring every four years. Recent study suggests that at least two different species of Long-finned Pilot Whales exist, one in the Northern Hemisphere and one in the Southern Hemisphere.
Distribution
Temperate to Antarctic waters. Southern Australia. Potentially near Port Phillip, recorded from Victoria.
Habitat
Temperate and subpolar zones, to depths greater than 300 m.
More Information
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Animal Type
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Animal SubType
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Brief Id
Very long flippers, rounded head.
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Maximum Size
6.7 m
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Habitats
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Diet
Carnivore
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Endemicity
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Commercial
No
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Conservation Statuses
CITES: Trade restrictions (Appendix II), DSE Advisory List: Not listed, EPBC Act 1999: Not listed, IUCN Red List: Data Deficient
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Depths
Shore (0-1 m), Shallow (1-30 m), Deep ( > 30 m)
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Water Column Locations
Surface, Midwater
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Taxon Name
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Common Name
Long-finned Pilot Whale
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Kingdom
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Phylum
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Subphylum
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Class
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Order
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Suborder
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Family
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Genus
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Species Name
melas
