Small (black) killer whales very smart, mobile and playful animals of dolphin families, detachments of whaling. They adapt well to life in captivity, easily tamed and lend themselves to training. They are often kept in dolphinaries and oceanariums. Sometimes small killer whales are crossed with dolphins of the genus Afalin, as well as grinds.
Description
Small mitant is a herd animal, while between members of one herd there is a strong attachment to each other. Like most marine mammals, in small killer whales, puberty does not occur at a certain age, but when a young individual reaches specific sizes.
Live in groups in which there can be up to several hundred killer whales of different ages. Such large groups are usually divided into smaller. On average, their number is 10-30 individuals.
Despite the fact that small braids breed all year round, its peak falls on the period from the end of winter to early spring. Pregnancy lasts 11-15.5 months. Only one whale is born. He remains with his mother for 18-24 months, at the same age there is an excommunication from the chest. Sexual maturity occurs in 8-10 years in males and at 8-11 years in females. After childbirth, females cannot give birth to cubs on average 6.9 years.
Kityat are capable of independent movement immediately after birth. After excommunication, they usually remain in the same social group with their mother.
Appearance
A small killer whale has almost a black color, only on the throat and neck there is a gray color. Thanks to such colors, small braids are also called black killer whales. The side fins are pointed and narrow, and the fin on the back has a sickle shape. The teeth are very large and sharp. There are up to 44 teeth in the mouth.
The head is rounded, the forehead has the shape of melons. The body is elongated. A sickshaped spooning fin, protrudes from the middle of the back, the chest fins are sharp. The upper jaw is longer than the lower.
Adult males of a small killer whale reach 3.7-6.1 m in length, adult females 3.5-5 m. Body weight ranges from 917 to 1842 kg. Newborns are 1.5-1.9 m in length and weigh about 80 kg. The spinal fin can reach 18-40 cm in height. The physique is stronger than other dolphins. The length of the fin about ten times less than the length of the body. In its middle there is usually a clearly noticeable seizure, the ends of the fin is sharp.
Red Book and Number
Small braid (black mitant)- a rare, little-studied look . The number in the waters of Eurasia is very low. Listed in Appendix 2 of the Cites, Appendix 2 of the Berne Convention. It is necessary to develop measures to prevent random or passing production of small miters
In the coastal waters of China and Japan, the number of small killer whales is estimated at about 16,000 individuals, in the Gulf of Mexican at 1038 individuals, in the Hawaiian islands 268, in the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean, the population of this species consists of approximately 39,800 animals.
Despite the fact that there are contradictions about a decrease in the number of small killer whales, there are convincing evidence of a decrease in the number of predatory fish in the habitats of the braids. This circumstance can lead to a decrease in their number.
In Japan, small killer whales are used as a source of food in the same way in the Caribbean sea are killed for meat and fat. Significantly the number, perhaps, was killed on the island of Taiwan. Around the island of Iki, about 900 killer whales were killed during the fishing period from 1965 to 1980.
What zone lives in
The habitat of small killer whales applies to the moderate and tropical waters of the oceans. These marine mammals are found in the Red and Mediterranean Sea, in the Atlantic. In the Pacific Ocean, they live in latitudes from New Zealand to Japan. In the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean, small killer whales live on Cape Horn and the shores of Alaska. In the Indian Ocean, this species chose the east coast of Africa, as well as in the waters of Southeast and East Asia.
What eats
The diet of small braids consists of fish. Cases of attack of this species on other marine mammals and their relatives of dolphins were not recorded. This suggests that a small killer whale is much less bloodthirsty than an ordinary killer whale. But these two species are completely different, they have practically nothing to do with external similarities. In this regard, small killer whales are also called false braids, thereby focusing on the differences between two types.
Adult black killer whales are eaten with squid and various predatory fish, such as perch, mackerel, salmon or herring. Often pursue fishing vessels, hoping for their share. Unfortunately, sometimes get confused in networks and die.
Lifestyle
To communicate with each other, echolocation is used in the range from 20 to 60 kHz, sometimes 100-130 kHz. Like other killer whales, small killer whales can make sounds such as whistle, screech, or less distinct pulsating sounds. A piercing whistle of whales can be heard from a depth of 200 m.
Small killer whales are very often thrown ashore in huge quantities. Mass throwing ashore was registered on beaches in Scotland, Ceylon, Zanzibar and along the coast of England.
Interesting Facts
An unsolved feature of the species is a periodic mass throwing to the shore. For example, in 2005, in the waters of South-West Australia, namely in the Gulf of the Geographer, several hundred small miters were thrown into land. Their black bodies filled almost the entire shore. 4 different groups were found on the shore, the distance between the groups was approximately 300 meters. Most likely, these were different flocks, which for some reason sailed to one coast.
Thanks to the efforts of the local authorities, the poor animals were saved, they were returned to the water. People’s intervention helped to avoid mass death of small killer whales. Of the entire number, only one individual died. This rescue operation demanded the participation of 1,500 volunteers.
