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For reasons unknown, the false killer whale is among the most common
cetaceans
involved in mass strandings. The sheer size of these episodes is hard to absorb - 835 animals were beached in the largest documented case. They are found in tropical and temperate waters worldwide, swimming with as many as ten other
species
of cetaceans. They feed primarily on fish and squid and have been seen sharing food in the wild, an unusual occurrence in mammals. In captivity, they have hybridized with bottlenose dolphins
and given birth to viable offspring. The false killer whale is the second largest of the dolphins, measuring 3.3 - 6 m in length and weighing up to 1,360 kg; in the
family
Delphinidae, only killer whales are larger.
Also known as:
Faux-orque, Orca Falsa, Blackfish
Sexual Dimorphism:
Males are larger than females.
Length:
Range: 3.7-6 m males; 3.3-5.1 m females
Weight:
Average: 1,360 kg (maximum)
References:
Owen, R.A., 1846.
A history of British fossil mammals and birds
, p. 516. London, 560 pp.
Links:
Mammal Species of the World
Click here for The American Society of Mammalogists species account
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Phylum Chordata 
Class Mammalia 
Discover Life
World Register of Marine Species 
