D I S C O V E R    L I F E      Home • All Living Things • IDnature guides • Global mapper • Albums • Labels • Search   About • Research • Education • Proceedings • Polistes Foundation • Partners • Links • Help

Feresa attenuata Gray, 1875 Pygmy Killer Whale

Higher taxa:  Life   Vertebrata   Mammalia   Delphinidae   Feresa   Global map IDnature guides: Mammalia, Mammalia_species, Marine_Mammals We parsed the following live from the Web into this page. Such content is managed by its original site and not cached on Discover Life. Please send feedback and corrections directly to the source. See original regarding copyrights and terms of use. Image, Doug Perrine North American Mammals, Smithsonian Institution Image, Würtz-Artescienza, CMS Map, CMS CMS Animal Diversity Web Taiwan Biodiversity National Information Network

Names

Scientific source:       Integrated Taxonomic Information System

Following modified from North American Mammals, Smithsonian Institution

   Top | See original

Cetacea · Delphinidae · Feresa attenuata    Smithsonian Institution    Copyright Notice    Privacy Notice   Feresa attenuata Pygmy Killer Whale Order: Cetacea Family: Delphinidae Click to enlarge. (38 kb) Pygmy killer whales are among the least-known cetaceans . These black, white-lipped whales have rarely been kept in captivity: from time to time a few stranded animals have been kept for a few days. The scientific history of this species says much about how difficult it is to build up knowledge about cetaceans. A skull from an unknown location was mentioned in the scientific literature in 1827. In 1875, another skull was described and the species was named. In 1952, a "strange dolphin" was collected in Japan that proved to be Feresa attenuata . Unfortunately, the scientist who received the specimen got it in pieces, but it provided the first complete skeleton and a hint as to what the animal looked like. Finally, in 1963, several more pygmy killer whales were found in Japan. Thereafter, sightings around the world established that these whales live in temperate and tropical waters, may be aggressive, and prey on small dolphins, fishes, and cephalopods. Information from strandings has provided limited data on size and growth. Pygmy killer whales have been seen swimming alone and in large groups of up to 1,000. Tuna fishermen report seeing groups that average about 25 individuals. Also known as: Petty Det, Orca Pigmeo Sexual Dimorphism: Males may be longer than females. Length: Range: 2-2.6 m Weight: Average: 140 kg References: Gray, 1875.  J. Mus. Godeffroy .  Hamburg, 8:184. Links: Mammal Species of the World     English · Español

Following served from Würtz-Artescienza, CMS

   Top | See original context

Following modified from CMS

   Top | See original

Feresa attenuata Gray, 1874 English: Pygmy killer whale German: Zwerggrindwal Spanish: Orca pigmea French: Orque pygmée Family Delphinidae Drawing of Feresa attenuata © Würtz-Artescienza (see " links ") 1. Description Pygmy killer whales have a robust body that narrows towards the dorsal fin, hence the name " attenuata " (Latin) meaning "thinning". The head is round and blunt and lacks a beak typical of many dolphin species. The moderately long flippers are rounded at the tips with convex leading and concave trailing edges. Pygmy killer whales are mostly grey to black, with a subtle dark cape on the side, below the high, falcate dorsal fin. There is a paler grey area on each flank and an irregularly white patch on the ventral side between the flippers, around the genitals and occasionally the tail stock. The lips are also edged with white. Body size ranges from 2.1 to 2.6m (Donahue and Perryman, 2009). Maximum known weight is 225 kg (Jefferson et al. 2008). 2. Distribution This is a tropical and subtropical species that inhabits oceanic waters around the globe, generally not ranging north of 40°N or south of 35°S (Jefferson et al. 1993; Taylor et al. 2008). It ranges north to the Gulf of Mexico, east coast of Florida, Senegal, Arabian Sea, Sri Lanka, Honshu, Hawaii, and Gulf of Tehuantepec, and south to Buenos Aires, Cape Province, Queensland, and Peru (Rice, 1998). The distribution of F. attenuata is poorly known from sparse but widely distributed records worldwide. It is seen relatively frequently in the eastern tropical Pacific, Hawaii, and Japan, though it is not particularly abundant anywhere. Because it tends to avoid boats it may be more common than the records suggest (Carwardine, 1995). Distribution of Feresa attenuata (Taylor et al. 2008; © IUCN). The species prefers tropical and subtropical offshore waters around the world between 40°N and 35°S . ( Click here for large map ) It is notable that most of the records outside the tropics are associated with strong, warm western boundary currents which effectively extend tropical conditions into higher latitudes (Ross and Leatherwood, 1994 and ref. therein). Williams et al. (2002) e.g. observed two groups in the north-eastern Atlantic in the Bay of Biscay at 45°16'N, 30°56'W and at 45°26'N, 40°26'W, respectively. In both cases the cetaceans were in close proximity to newly born or first-year calves. Records of whales on the cool west coasts of southern Africa and Peru are exceptions, though these could well have originated in far warmer waters comparatively close by (Ross and Leatherwood, 1994 and ref. therein). 3. Population size There is very little information on population size, and the species appears to be uncommon. The population size of the western north Atlantic stock is unknown. The population size for the Northern Gulf of Mexico stock is 408 (Reviewed in Waring et al. 2007). Wade and Gerrodette (1993) estimated that there were about 38,900 (CV=31%) in the eastern tropical Pacific. There are estimated to be 956 pygmy killer whales (CV=83%) in the Hawaiian portion of the US EEZ (Barlow 2006). 4. Biology and Behaviour Habitat : Occurs in deep, warm waters, rarely close to shore (except near oceanic islands). Mainly tropical, but occasionally strays into warm temperate regions (Carwardine, 1995). Behaviour : F. attenuata may be difficult to approach and is known to avoid boats, though there are reports of bow- and wake-riding (Carwardine, 1995). Castro (2004) e.g. observed pygmy killer whales off Machalilla National Park,Ecuador, "The school of dolphins was travelling at a speed of around 30 km/h. During the whole length of the observation, while the animals were travelling, they conducted running leaps and hard splash with their whole bodies outside of the water. On some occasions, their heads were outside of the water and they were bowriding in the waves produced by the boat". Schooling : Groups generally contain 50 or fewer individuals, although herds of up to several hundred have been seen (Jefferson et al. 1993; Ross and Leatherwood, 1994). Pods often swim abreast in perfectly co-ordinated "chorus lines" and, when alarmed, bunch together to rush away. Growling sounds may be heard above the surface. Herds often strand (Carwardine, 1995), e.g. at Hawaii (Mazzuca et al. 1999) or in Brazil (Zerbini and de Oliveira 1997). A record mass stranding of pygmy killer whales in the British Virgin Islands was documented by Mignucci-Giannoni et al. (2000), who associating the stranding process with the meteorological and oceanographic disturbance of hurricane Marilyn, which devastated the Virgin Islands a day prior to the stranding. Food : Pygmy killer whales eat mostly fish and squid, although they occasionally attack other dolphins, at least when those dolphins are involved in tuna fishery interactions in the eastern tropical Pacific (Jefferson et al., 1993; Carwardine, 1995). Santos and Haimovici (1998) found mainly squids of the families Onychoteuthidae and especially Ommastrephidae in the stomach contents of F. attenuata . Pygmy killer whales use similar echolocation clicks as similar sized, whistling delphinids, suggesting comparable diets. Recorded clicks are directional, short (25 µs) transients with estimated source levels between 197 and 223 dB re. 1 µPa (pp). Spectra of clicks recorded close to or on the acoustic axis were bimodal with peak frequencies between 45 and 117 kHz, and with centroid frequencies between 70 and 85 kHz (Madsen et al., 2004). 5. Migration No migrations are known (Carwardine, 1995). Incidental catches by Sri Lankan fishermen have been reported in all months except September, November and December, indicating that pygmy killer whales are present almost throughout the year in this region. Similarly, whalers of St Vincent, Lesser Antilles, indicated that they might encounter pygmy killer whales at any time of the year, implying residency (Ross and Leatherwood, 1994). Jefferson et al. (2008) confirmed this for Hawaiian waters, where pygmy killer whales show high fidelity to specific islands, with strong and stable association patterns. 6. Threats Direct catch : A few individuals are known to be taken in drives and in driftnets in various regions, most notably Japan and Sri Lanka (Jefferson et al. 1993). Reports on the small-cetacean fisheries of St Vincent and Lamelera suggest that pygmy killer whales form a very small proportion of the catch and that catches probably have little impact on the populations in those areas. In Sri Lanka, there has been additional mortality of this and other species due to harpooning of dolphins for use as bait on long-lines for sharks, billfish, and other oceanic fishes (Ross and Leatherwood, 1994 and refs. therein). Incidental catch : Although they comprise less than 2% of all cetaceans in monitored by-catches in gillnet fisheries in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka and in villages on the south-west coast of Sri Lanka, this may amount to 300-900 of the 15,000-45,000 dolphins estimated to die each year in such fisheries (Ross and Leatherwood, 1994, and refs. therein). The numbers of animals killed incidentally in net fisheries, such as those in Sri Lanka, may be much higher than is so far documented because monitoring of these widespread activities is incomplete. In the long term, such takes may have a significant impact on stocks resident in areas where pygmy killer whales (and other small cetaceans) and extensive gillnetting operations overlap (Ross and Leatherwood, 1994). Small incidental catches are known in fisheries in other areas (Jefferson et al. 1993), e.g. the Philippines (Dolar et al. 1999) or Indonesia (Rudolph and Smeenk, 2009). Pollution : There have been reports on the presence of hydrocarbon residues, including DDT, Dieldrin and PCBs in various tissues of three pygmy killer whales from the Gulf and Atlantic coasts of Florida (Ross and Leatherwood, 1994 and refs. therein). Noise pollution : In early 2004 and in 2005, several unusual stranding events occurred in Taiwan during a period of large-scale naval exercises. Gross examination of the partial remains of a pygmy killer whale revealed internal injuries to structures associated with or related to acoustics or diving, suggestive that nearby naval exercises may have contributed to or caused the death of at least one cetacean in this region and that species other than beaked whales may also be susceptible to such activities. With an increasing number of military exercises in this region, more attention to the impacts of such activities on cetaceans is needed (Wang and Yang, 2006). 7. Remarks Range states (Taylor et al. 2008): Algeria; Anguilla; Antigua and Barbuda; Aruba; Australia; Bahamas; Bangladesh; Barbados; Belize; Benin; Brazil; Brunei Darussalam; Cambodia; Cameroon; Cayman Islands; China; Cocos (Keeling) Islands; Colombia; Comoros; Congo; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Cook Islands; Costa Rica; Cuba; Côte d'Ivoire; Djibouti; Dominica; Dominican Republic; Ecuador; El Salvador; Equatorial Guinea; Fiji; France; French Guiana; French Polynesia; Gabon; Gambia; Ghana; Grenada; Guam; Guatemala; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Guyana; Haiti; Honduras; India; Indonesia; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Italy; Jamaica; Japan; Kenya; Kiribati; Korea, Republic of; Liberia; Madagascar; Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak); Maldives; Marshall Islands; Mauritania; Mayotte; Mexico; Micronesia, Federated States of; Morocco; Mozambique; Myanmar; Nauru; Netherlands Antilles (Bonaire, Curaçao, Netherlands Leeward Is.); New Caledonia; Nicaragua; Nigeria; Niue; Northern Mariana Islands; Oman; Pakistan; Palau; Panama; Papua New Guinea; Peru; Philippines; Pitcairn; Portugal; Puerto Rico; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Samoa; Senegal; Sierra Leone; Singapore; Solomon Islands; Somalia; South Africa; Spain; Sri Lanka; Suriname; Taiwan, Province of China; Tanzania, United Republic of; Thailand; Timor-Leste; Togo; Tokelau; Tonga; Trinidad and Tobago; United States; Venezuela; Viet Nam; Virgin Islands, British; Virgin Islands, U.S.; Wallis and Futuna; Western Sahara; Yemen Feresa attenuata is considered as "Data Deficient" by the IUCN (Taylor et al. 2008). The species is not listed by CMS. The species is listed on Appendix II of CITES. There is very little knowledge about this species, its abundance, migratory behaviour or by-catch rates in offshore fisheries. For South American populations, see recommendations in Hucke-Gaete (2000) (see Appendix 1 ). General recommendations on Southeast Asian stocks can be found in Perrin et al. (1996) (see Appendix 2 ). 8. Sources · Barlow J (2006) Cetacean abundance in Hawaiian waters estimated from a summer/ fall survey in 2002. Mar Mamm Sci 22: 446-464 · Carwardine M (1995) Whales, dolphins and porpoises. Dorling Kindersley, London, UK, 257 pp. · Castro C (2004) Encounter with a school of pygmy killer whales ( Feresa attenuata ) in Ecuador, Southeast Tropical Pacific. Aquat Mamm 30: 441-444 Dolar M L L, Suarez P, Ponganis P J, Kooyman G L (1999) Myoglobin in pelagic small cetaceans. J Exp Biol 202: 227-236. · Donahue MA, Perryman WL (2009) Pygmy Killer Whale - Feresa attenuata . In: Encyclopedia of marine mammals 2nd Ed. (Perrin WF, Würsig B, Thewissen JGM, eds.) Academic Press, Amsterdam, pp. 938--939. · Hucke-Gaete R ed. (2000) Review on the conservation status of small cetaceans in southern South America. UNEP/CMS Secretariat, Bonn, Germany, 24 pp. · Jefferson TA, Leatherwood S, Webber MA (1993) FAO Species identification guide. Marine mammals of the world. UNEP/FAO, Rome, 320 pp. · Jefferson TA, Webber MA Pitman RL (2008) Marine mammals of the world. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 573 pp. · Madsen PT, Kerr I, Payne R (2004) Source parameter estimates of echolocation clicks from wild pygmy killer whales ( Feresa attenuata ) (L). J Acoust Soc Amer 116: 1909-1912 · Mazzuca L, Atkinson S, Keating B, Nitta E (1999) Cetacean mass strandings in the Hawaiian Archipelago, 1957-1998. Aquat Mamm 25: 105-114. · Mignucci-Giannoni AA, Toyos-Gonzalez GM, Perez-Padilla J, Rodriguez-Lopez MA, Overing J. (2000) Mass stranding of pygmy killer whales ( Feresa attenuata ) in the British Virgin Islands. J Mar Biol Assoc U-K 80: 759-760. · Perrin WF, Dolar MLL, Alava MNR (1996) Report of the Workshop on the Biology and Conservation of Small Cetaceans and Dugongs of Southeast Asia. East Asia Seas Action Plan. UNEP(W)/EAS WG. 1/2, Bangkok, Thailand, 101 pp. · Rice DW (1998) Marine mammals of the world: systematics and distribution. Society for Marine Mammalogy, Spec Publ. 4, Lawrence, KS. USA. · Ross GJB, Leatherwood S (1994) Pygmy killer whale - Feresa attenuata . In: Handbook of marine mammals (Ridgway SH, Harrison SR, eds.) Vol. 5: The first book of dolphins. Academic Press, London, pp. 387-404. · Rudolph P, Smeenk C (2009) Indo-West Pacific marine mammals. In: Encyclopedia of marine mammals (Perrin WF, Würsig B, Thewissen JGM, eds.) Academic Press, Amsterdam, pp. 608-616. · Santos RA, Haimovici M (1998) Cephalopods in the diet of marine mammals stranded or incidentally caught along southeast and southern Brazil (21° to 34°S). Copenhagen Denmark Ices, 15 pp. · Taylor BL, Baird R, Barlow J, Dawson SM, Ford J, Mead JG, Notarbartolo di Sciara G, Wade P, Pitman RL (2008). Feresa attenuata . In: IUCN 2009. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.1. <www.iucnredlist.org>. · Wade P, Gerrodette T (1993). Estimates of cetacean abundance and distribution in the eastern tropical Pacific. Rep Int Whal. Comm 43:477-493. · Wang JY, Yang S-C (2006) Unusual cetacean stranding events of Taiwan in 2004 and 2005. J Cetacean Res Manage 8: 283-292 · Waring GT, Josephson E, Fairfield CP, Maze-Foley K, editors. 2007. U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Marine Mammal Stock Assessments -- 2006. NOAA Tech Memo NMFS NE 201; 378 p · Williams AD, Williams R, Brereton T (2002) The sighting of pygmy killer whales ( Feresa attenuata ) in the southern Bay of Biscay and their association with cetacean calves. J Mar Biol Assoc UK 82: 509-511 · Zerbini AN, De Ooliveira Santos MC (1997) First record of the pygmy killer whale Feresa attenuata (Gray, 1874) for the Brazilian coast. Aquat Mamm 23:105-109. © Boris Culik (2010) Odontocetes. The toothed whales: " Feresa attenuata ". UNEP/CMS Secretariat, Bonn, Germany. http://www.cms.int/reports/small_cetaceans/index.htm © Illustrations by Maurizio Würtz, Artescienza. © Maps by IUCN.   Home/Introduction | Contents | Comments/Contact | Links | Whale Dictionary | Disclaimer | CMS Homepage

Following modified from Animal Diversity Web

   Top | See original

Overview  News  Technology  Conditions of Use  Privacy Policy  Partners & Contributors  Awards & Recognition  ADW Staff  Contact Us  Spinning Skulls  About Mammals  Frog Calls  Resources for College Instructors  Resources for K-12 Instructors  Contribute to ADW  What's in a Scientific Name?  Authority Lists: Where We Get Our Names  Name, Rank, and Serial Number  Organismal classification: evolutionary relationships & ranks  Glossary  Search Guide  Related Links  Contact Us  Report an Error Structured Inquiry Search — preview Home Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Subphylum Vertebrata Class Mammalia Order Cetacea Suborder Odontoceti Family Delphinidae Species Feresa attenuata Feresa attenuata pygmy killer whale Information Classification 2010/09/05 02:59:48.123 GMT-4 By Crystal Allen Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrata Class: Mammalia Order: Cetacea Suborder: Odontoceti Family: Delphinidae Genus: Feresa Species: Feresa attenuata Geographic Range Feresa attenuata is found around Japan, Hawaii and in the warmer eastern areas of the North Pacific Ocean. It is also found in the West Indian area and around tropical western Africa in the Atlantic Ocean as well as in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. (Ridgway, 1994; Tinker, 1988; http://library.advanced.org/2605/pygkill.htm , 1999). Biogeographic Regions: indian ocean ( native ); atlantic ocean ( native ); pacific ocean ( native ). Habitat Feresa attenuata is primarily a species of tropical waters, though it has been spotted in cooler waters off the west coast of Southern Africa and Peru. It prefers sub-tropical and tropical waters usually in deep water in the open oceans and is rarely found in closed water. Pygmy killer whales are believed to be non-migratory, but little is known about their migratory habits. (Ridgway, 1994; Tinker, 1988; http://www.cetacea.org/pkiller.htm , 1999). ( Ridgway and Harrison, 1994 ; Tinker, 1988 ) These animals are found in the following types of habitat: tropical ; saltwater or marine . Aquatic Biomes: pelagic . Physical Description Mass 110 to 170 kg; avg. 140 kg (242 to 374 lbs; avg. 308 lbs) Length 2.10 to 2.60 m (6.89 to 8.53 ft) Feresa attenuata is very similar in appearance to melon-headed whales and to juvenile false killer whales. From a distance it is very difficult to tell these three apart. The shape of the head, the dorsal fin and the flippers of pygmy killer whales are different from the other two. The head of Feresa attenuata is rounded and lacks a beak. They have an underslung jaw and white lips, and usually a white patch on the tip of the lower jaw. The skull is asymmetrical and the right jaw is smaller and usually has one less tooth than the left jaw. The teeth are large and conical. There are usually 8 to 11 pairs of teeth in the upper jaw and 11 to 13 pairs of teeth in the lower jaw. Pygmy killer whales have a sub-triangular, long based, high dorsal fin with a tip that points backward. The dorsal fin is located near the center of the body and lacks rigidity, often inclining to the side. The flippers of pygmy killer whales are moderate in length and have rounded tips. The body of Feresa attenuata is slender, though the midsection forward is slightly more robust than the midsection back. Pygmy killer whales are not whale sized at all; rather, they are average sized dolphins and part of the family Delphinidae. An adult ranges in length from 2.1 to 2.6 meters and weighs between 110 and 170 kg. The coloring is dark gray to black with some paler markings on the underside, as well as some white on the belly. Feresa attenuata has a groove on the skin of its belly that extends from anterior to the umbilicus to the anus. In both males and females this groove contains the umbilicus, the anus and the genitals. (Balcomb, 1987; Ridgway, 1994; Tinker, 1988; http://www.cetacea.org/pkiller.htm , 1999; http://www.sci.tamucc.edu/tmmsn/29Species/pygmykiller.html , 1999; http://www.gomr.mms.gov/homepg/regulate/environ/marmam/pygmy.html , 1999; http://library.advanced.org/2605/pygkill.htm , 1999). Some key physical features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry . Sexual dimorphism: sexes alike. Reproduction Breeding interval Breeding occurs once yearly, although individual females may give birth less frequently. Breeding season The breeding season is unknown. Number of offspring 1 (average) There is no information on mating in pygmy killer whales. Little is known about the reproduction of Feresa attenuata . It is believed that males are sexually mature when they are greater than 2.16m in length and females when they are greater than 2.21m in length. The summer months are probably when most of the calves are born. Generally one calf is born. (Ridgway, 1994; Tinker, 1988; http://www.anca.gov.au/plants/threaten/plans/action_plans/cetaceans/whaleap5p.htm , 1999). Key reproductive features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; viviparous . Females care for and nurse their young until they reach independence. Little is known about the details of parentl care in these whales. Parental investment: no parental involvement; precocial ; pre-fertilization (protecting: female); pre-hatching/birth (provisioning: female, protecting: female); pre-weaning/fledging (provisioning: female, protecting: female); pre-independence (provisioning: female, protecting: female). Lifespan/Longevity Longevity in this species is poorly understood. Behavior Pygmy killer whales are described as aggressive animals that have been seen snapping their jaws, beating their flippers and flukes on the surface of the water, and growling. In captivity they elicit fear reactions from other cetaceans. They will charge, bite, and snap their jaws at other cetaceans as well as their trainers. They will often kill all other cetaceans that are in the tank with them. Though aggressive toward other animals pygmy killer whales are shy of vessels. At the water's surface pygmy killer whales are quite acrobatic. They are often seen leaping, spy hopping, tail slapping, and occasionally bowriding. Social groups of this species are usually made up of approximately 25 individuals. In areas where they are more frequently sighted, such at the Hawaiian Islands, herds contain up to 50 individuals and on rare occasions a few hundred. (Balcomb, 1987; Ridgway, 1994; http://www.cetacea.org/pkiller.htm , 1999; http://www.anca.gov.au/plants/threaten/plans/action_plans/cetaceans/whaleap5p.htm , 1999). Key behaviors: natatorial ; diurnal ; motile ; nomadic ; social . Communication and Perception Feresa attenuata make sounds similar to the whistles and clicks of bottlenose dolphins, as well as growling sounds through their blowhole. Communicates with: acoustic . Perception channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical . Food Habits The diet of Feresa attenuata includes squid, octopus, and large fish, e.g., tuna and dolphin fish. Pygmy killer whales are also known to occasionally attack groups of small cetaceans, for instance other dolphins. ( http://www.cetacea.org/pkiller.htm , 1999; http://www.sci.tamucc.edu/tmmsn/29Species/pygmykiller.html , 1999). Primary Diet: carnivore ( piscivore , molluscivore ). Animal Foods: fish; mollusks. Predation Little is known about predators of pygmy killer whales. Their large size and aggressiveness makes them invulnerable to many predators, but perhaps not to large sharks or larger cetaceans, such as orcas . Ecosystem Roles Pygmy killer whales are important predators of fish and cephalopods. Economic Importance for Humans: Negative There are no negative impacts of pygmy killer whales on humans. Economic Importance for Humans: Positive Pygmy killer whales are important members of pelagic ecosystems. Conservation Status IUCN Red List: [link] : Data Deficient. US Federal List: [link] : No special status. CITES: [link] : Appendix II. Feresa attenuata is listed in Appendix II of the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Those listed in Appendix II, as stated on the CITES web site, are "species which although not necessarily threatened with extinction may become so unless trade is subject to strict regulation." As well as non-threatened species that must be subject to regulation in order to control threatened species. ( http://www.wcmc.org.uk/CITES/english/index.html , 1999). For More Information Find Feresa attenuata information at Encyclopedia of Life Contributors Crystal Allen (author), University of Michigan. Phil Myers (editor), Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. Tanya Dewey (editor), Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. References "CETACEA: Feresa attenuata (Pygmy Killer Whale)" (On-line). Accessed December, 1999 at http://www.cetacea.org/pkiller.htm . "The Majestic Presence of the Whale- The Pygmy Killer Whale" (On-line). Accessed December, 1999 at http://library.advanced.org/2605/pygkill.htm . "Plan-Endangered Species Program - Pygmy Killer Whale" (On-line). Accessed December, 1999 at http://www.anca.gov.au/plants/threaten/plans/action_plans/cetaceans/whaleap5p.htm . "Pygmy Killer Whale" (On-line). Accessed December, 1999 at http://www.sci.tamucc.edu/tmmsn/29Species/pygmykiller.html . "Pygmy Killer Whale, Feresa attenuata" (On-line). Accessed December, 1999 at http://www.gomr.mms.gov/homepg/regulate/environ/marmam/pygmy.html . Balcomb, K. 1987. The Whales of Hawaii . San Francisco, CA: The Marine Mammal Fund. Ridgway, S., R. Harrison. 1994. Handbook of Marine Mammals . San Diego, CA: Academic Press Inc.. Tinker, S. 1988. Whales of the World . Honolulu, Hawaii: Bess Press, Inc.. 2010/09/05 02:59:49.359 GMT-4 To cite this page: Allen, C. 2000. "Feresa attenuata" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed September 09, 2010 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Feresa_attenuata.html. Disclaimer: The Animal Diversity Web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students . ADW doesn't cover all species in the world, nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe. Though we edit our accounts for accuracy, we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts. While ADW staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable, we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control. Other formats: OWL Home   ¦   About Us   ¦   Special Topics   ¦   Teaching   ¦   About Animal Names   ¦   Help Structured Inquiry Search — preview Sponsored in part by the Interagency Education Research Initiative, the Homeland Foundation and the University of Michigan   Museum of Zoology . This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grants DUE-0633095 and DRL-0628151. The ADW Team gratefully acknowledges their support. Report Error — Comment ©1995-2008, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors. All rights reserved.

Following modified from Taiwan Biodiversity National Information Network

   Top | See original

　 Kingdom Animalia    Phylum Chordata    Class Mammalia    Order Cetacea    Family Delphinidae    Genus Feresa     Feresa attenuata    Gray, 1874  Provider: Ming-Chi Wang  Citation: Rice, 1998  Name Code: 380534      Taiwan Wildlife Conservation Act- Endangered     Suggested Link    Discover Life    World Register of Marine Species   User Response: