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Orcinus orca
Orcinus orca L. (1758)
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This website is a demonstrator for the integration of several informatics technologies useful in "in-silico" biodiversity science: Scratchpads, Taverna Player and BioVeL infrastructure for executing workflows. This particular example makes use of population census data for Killer Whales and abundance data for Chinook Salmon in the north-east Pacific Ocean, which has kindly been provided by Antonio Velez-Espino of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Please do not rely on the data or results information provided for any actual scientific, conservation or policy use. Mistakes herein (of which there are several) are solely the responsibility of the technical parties working on the technology integration. These include: Cardiff University, University of Manchester and the Natural History Museum, London.
EOL Text
The fossil history of killer whales dates to the Pliocene epoch, about 5 million years ago. The fossil history is not rich, but some finds link Orcinus orca to its early ancestors. Teeth, partial skulls, jaw bones, and periotic bones (found in a mammal's ear) have been found and identified in many countries of the world, including: Japan, Hungary, Italy, and South Africa.
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2013, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
| Source | http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Orcinus_orca/ |
Killer whales live in all the oceans between the Arctic and Antarctic ice packs. Given this enormous range and their predatory lifestyle, it is not surprising that they are adaptable, with excellent memory, intelligence, and a capacity for social complexity. They tend to live in pods of fewer than 10 animals, built around a stable core of 2-3 generations of related females - mothers, daughters, sisters, and aunts. This is shown by genetic studies of pods living in the same area. Adult females without calves, and adult males, may help care for and train younger whales to hunt, especially when a reproducing female is rearing more than one offspring. Cooperation extends to hunting, and these animals are known to attack and drown larger whales by swarming them from all sides. Orcas may even beach themselves temporarily to snatch seals, or knock them off ice floes by ramming the ice. Their prey includes larger marine mammals, fish, birds, and cephalopods.
Links:
Mammal Species of the World
Click here for The American Society of Mammalogists species account
Orcas are the top predator in the sea and have an extremely broad diet, including fish, gulls, penguins, turtles, squid and marine mammals, even including large whales such as grey and blue whales (2). They spend their life in stable groups, called pods (2), which hunt co-operatively (6). Long-term studies off Canada have shown that orcas occur as 'transient', 'resident' or 'offshore' populations, which have different hunting styles and social organisation (4). Orcas are extremely active and acrobatic; they are one of the fastest animals in the sea and often breach (clear the water), lobtail (slap the tail flukes on the surface of the water), and spy-hop (bring the head out of the water) (4). Females become sexually mature in their teens and produce a single calf every three years until they reach around 40 years of age (6). After the gestation period of up to 17 months, calves are suckled for about a year (6). Killer whales live to between 50 and 100 years of age (6).
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | Copyright Wildscreen 2003-2008 |
| Source | http://www.arkive.org/orca/orcinus-orca/ |
Red Sea.
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | Bibliotheca Alexandrina, BA Cultnat, Bibliotheca Alexandrina - EOL Ar |
| Source | http://lifedesk.bibalex.org/ba/pages/15751 |
Habitat Type: Marine
Comments: Mainly in coastal waters, but may occur anywhere in all oceans and major seas at any time of year.
Comments: Active day and night.
Factores de riesgo
No se tienen muchos conocimientos acerca de los efectos de la contaminación ambiental en los cetáceos, sin embargo Calambokidis et al. (1984) encontraron altos niveles de PCBs y DDT en la grasa de una orca transeúnte macho en Washington (250 ppm y 640 ppm, respectivamente), mientras que en un macho residente encontró niveles menores (38 ppm de PCB y 59 ppm de DDE). Debido a la posición de las orcas transeúntes en la cadena trófica, es de esperarse que presenten niveles de contaminación elevados.
Situación actual del hábitat con respecto a las necesidades de la especie
Es una especie oceánica y no se ve tan afectada por los impactos costeros causados por el hombre. El hábitat de la especie en lo que corresponde a la costa occidental de la Península de Baja California, y sur del Golfo de California en general se mantiene inalterado. Se podría decir que los mares se encuentran degradados en algún grado por la contaminación, efectos del cambio climático, la disminución de la capa de ozono y la sobrepesca, sin embaergo, los efectos de la constaminación sobre el mar son más evidentes cerca de la costa, donde las especies están en mayor grado de contacto con contaminantes y mareas rojas. El Golfo de México y el de California reciben grandes cantidades de contaminantes de diversas fuentes como industria, agroindustria, urbana, etc.
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ |
| Rights holder/Author | CONABIO |
| Source | http://www.conabio.gob.mx/conocimiento/ise/fichasnom/Orcinusorca00.pdf |
Length: 9.8 m (male maximum)
Mating times vary worldwide. Gestation period is approximately 17 months. Calves may nurse for up to 15 months.
occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | NatureServe |
| Source | http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Orcinus+orca |