Long, slender, almost entirely black bodies with an anchor-shaped gray patch on their ventral side and a rounded, conical head.
Pectoral fins with a distinct hump that points backwards.
Most distinguishing feature are 7-12 pairs of large conical teeth that resemble teeth of a killer whale.
Adults size range from 16-20 feet and weigh from 1,000-3,000 pounds, with males at the upper end of the scale.
They are highly social animals forming pods of 10-40 individuals in Hawaii, and up to 100 individuals elsewhere.
Diet
Primarily fish and squid. Those in Hawaiian waters feed primarily on mahi mahi and yellowfin tuna. This poses a problem for the whales which can be injured or entangled by the fishing gear. It also poses problems for the longline fishermen who suffer economic losses as a result of the whales depredating thier catch.
Lifespan
Estimated 58 years for males and 63 years for females.
Reproduction
Reach sexual maturity at lengths of 12-14 feet.
Breeding seasons lasts several months.
Females have a gestation period that lasts from 14-16 months and calve approximately every seven years.
At birth a false killer whale can measure 5-6 feet and weigh 175 pounds.
Distribution
Widely distributed in all of the oceans preferring deep tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate waters.
In the Pacific Island Region they are found through out the Hawaiian islands in both shallow and deep water.
Potential Threats
Interactions with fisheries
Marine debris entanglement or ingestion
Anthropogenic noise
Marine polluntants
Current Management Issues
Develop strategies to reduce false killer whale interactions with fisheries in the Pacific Islands Region.
