Globicephala+melas

Genus and Species

Globicephala melas (Long-finned Pilot Whale)




 * __Class Order and Family__**

Mamalia Cetartiodactyla Delphinidae


 * __Range__**




 * __Location of Ecosystem__**


 * Eastern Atlantic -30° North to 70° North
 * Generally lives offshore, but lives inshore and in bay waters in Summer


 * __Physical Habitat Features__**
 * Salinity- 36-34 PPS (30°-70° North)
 * Earthquakes- Yes
 * Volcanoes- Yes
 * Sea Floor Spreading- Yes
 * Subduction- Yes
 * Currents
 * Labrador
 * E. Greenland
 * Gulf Stream
 * N. Atlantic Drift
 * Tides- .27 Feet Low-3.65 Feet High
 * Average- 3.38 Feet


 * __Migration Patterns/ Population Estimates__**
 * Unfortunately there is not much information on the population, rough estimates from old 1980's surveys say that there are 200,000 long finned pilot whales.


 * The whales that are in the Northwest Atlantic move to the middle of the shelf during mid winter and through early spring. During the breeding season in August the whales move to Newfoundland waters.

__**Survival Trends of Species**__
 * The population of the long finned pilot whale is on the rise.

__**Appearance of Species**__
 * Gray/white color[[image:Whale_vs._person width="274" height="97" align="right" caption="Long Finned Pilot Whale in comparison to a person"]]
 * Generally three to seven meters in length
 * Adults weigh between 1.8 and 3.5 tonnes[[image:file:///Users/josephpceccato/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/moz-screenshot-1.jpg]]
 * The body has a very cylindrical shape to it


 * __Reproduction__**
 * Mating occurs in between May-June, and again in October in smaller numbers
 * Gestation period 15-16 months
 * Typically there is one calf, with the rare occurrence of twins
 * 24 months of parental care

__**Anatomy and Physiology**__
 * Stocky body
 * Bulbous head
 * Single Blowhole
 * Long Black Flippers
 * Backward leaning dorsal fin
 * Fin Set froward on body
 * Long/High laterally compressed tail
 * Eight to fourteen teeth
 * Four sets of jaws
 * Round head with a turned up mouth


 * __Food Chain__**
 * Primary diet consists of squid and cod
 * On average 14kg of food is consumed per meal
 * Uses echolocation to hunt


 * __Economic Importance__**
 * Small harvests have benefited coastal communities
 * Each whale contains 40 gallons of blubber oil
 * And 2 gallons of head and jaw oil

__**Threats and Reason for Endangerment**__
 * Often found in trawl nets and are accidentally caught
 * Over fishing of squid may lead to prey depletion
 * Multiple different pollutants are found in some whales

__**Conservation Efforts**__
 * The long finned pilot whale is no longer considered an endangered animal
 * There are no recent efforts in place to help the animals


 * __Solutions__**
 * 1) The fishermen can design new nets that reduce the risk of accidental by catch.
 * 2) The squid fishermen can reduce their overall catch of squid to ensure there is enough for the whales to eat.
 * 3) There could be laws in place that reduce the amount of pollutants in the ocean.

__**Scavenger Hunt**__
 * 1) How much does an average pilot whale weigh?
 * 2) How many kg of food is consumed per meal?
 * 3) How long is the whales gestation period?

__**Sources**__

http://www.cms.int/reports/small_cetaceans/data/G_melas/g_melas.htm

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Globicephala_melas.html

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Globicephala_melas.html

http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=354