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Category of Organisms
Marine Mammals
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum/Division
Chordata
Class
Mammalia
Order
Cetacea
Family
Delphinidae
Genus
Peponocephala
Species
electra
Binomial Name
Peponocephala electra
Author
Gray, 1846
Common Name
Melon-headed whale
Local Name
Size Range
At birth and is 1 meter (3 ft) long. An adult grows up to 3 meters (10 ft) long. Weighs in excess of 200 kilograms (440 lb)
Environment/Habitat
The melon-headed whale, Peponocephala electra, is found in tropical and subtropical waters worldwide, most commonly in the Philippine Sea. They favor warm, pelagic waters. Melon-headed whales travel in pods of 100-1,000, although even larger pods have been reported.
Importance/Value
Resilience
Endemic
No
Found in Marine Park
No
Found in Malaysia
Yes
Distribution
Morphology/Character
The Melon-headed Whale has a body shape rather like a torpedo - its head shaped like 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 cousin the Orca. When viewed in profile the head is not as rounded as the Pygmy Killer and this may be an aid to identification.
This whale is capable of swimming very quickly, particularly when startled. When doing so it often makes short low jumps clear of the sea surface, causing lots of splash. Melon-heads usually gather in large numbers (at least 100 and possible as many as 1000 on rare occasions) and sometimes strand together.
Biology
The Melon-head weighs about 10-15 kilograms (22-33 lb) at birth and is 1 meter (3 ft) long. An adult grows up to 3 meters (10 ft) long and weighs in excess of 200 kilograms (440 lb). The whales' lifespan is at least 20 years and probably more than 30 years for females. Their primary diet is squid.
Miscellaneaous
Status in IUCN Red List
Least Concern (LC)
Status in CITES Species Database
II
Researcher(s)
Reference(s)
RALF KIEFNER, WHALES & DOLPHINS CETACEAN WORLD GUIDE, PUBLISHED BY IKAN, Page: 187
Other Link(s)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peponocephala_electra
http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/16564
Collection Record
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