Species Orcinus orca (Linnaeus, 1758)
Killer Whale
Type data:
Status unknown, whereabouts unknown (none in existence), 'Oceano Europaeo'.Secondary source:
Hershkovitz, P. 1966. Catalog of living whales. Bulletin of the United States National Museum 246: viii 1-259.- Orca tasmanica Gray, J.E. 1871. Supplement to the Catalogue of Seals and Whales in the British Museum. London : British Museum xi 109 pp. [92].
Type data:
Status unknown, whereabouts unknown, TAS.Type locality references:
Hershkovitz, P. 1966. Catalog of living whales. Bulletin of the United States National Museum 246: viii 1-259 [85] (based on Orca gladiator var. australis Gervais fig. 1 skull). - Delphinus grampus Iredale, T. & Troughton, E. le G. 1933. The correct generic name for the Grampus or Killer Whale, and the so-called Grampus or Risso's Dolphin. Records of the Australian Museum 19: 28-36 [30] [nom. nud.; for 'identification' of Delphinus grampus 'Linn.' Gray, 1828, see Hershkovitz, P. 1966. Catalog of living whales. Bull. U.S. Natl. Mus. 246: viii 1–259 [82]].
Type data:
Syntype(s).Secondary source:
Hershkovitz, P. 1966. Catalog of living whales. Bulletin of the United States National Museum 246: viii 1-259.
Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy
- Hershkovitz, P. 1966. Catalog of living whales. Bulletin of the United States National Museum 246: viii 1-259 [82] (see also for synonyms based on non-Australian material)
Generic Combinations
- Orcinus orca (Linnaeus, 1758).
Distribution
States
New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia
Extra Distribution Information
Circumglobal.
IMCRA
Timor Transition (1), Tasmania Province (10), Southeast Transition (11), Central Eastern Province (12), Tasman Basin Province (13), Lord Howe Province (14), Central Eastern Transition (15), Kenn Transition (16), Kenn Province (17), Northeast Province (18), Northeast Transition (19), Timor Province (2), Cape Province (20), Northern Shelf Province (25), Northwest Shelf Transition (26), Northwest Shelf Province (27), Central Western Shelf Transition (28), Central Western Shelf Province (29), Northwest Transition (3), Southwest Shelf Transition (30), Southwest Shelf Province (31), Great Australian Bight Shelf Transition (32), Spencer Gulf Shelf Province (33), Western Bass Strait Shelf Transition (34), Bass Strait Shelf Province (35), Tasmanian Shelf Province (36), Southeast Shelf Transition (37), Central Eastern Shelf Province (38), Central Eastern Shelf Transition (39), Northwest Province (4), Northeast Shelf Province (40), Northeast Shelf Transition (41), Central Western Transition (5), Central Western Province (6), Southwest Transition (7), Southern Province (8), West Tasmania Transition (9)
Ecological Descriptors
Continental shelf, gregarious, oceanic, pelagic, piscivore, predator.
Extra Ecological Information
Diet also includes birds and marine mammals.
General References
Heyning, J.E. & Dahlheim, M.E. 1988. Orcinus orca. Mammalian Species 304: 1-9
Kemper, C., Gibbs, P., Obendorf, D., Marvanek, S. & Lenghaus, C. 1994. A review of heavy metal and organochlorine levels in marine mammals in Australia. Science and the Total Environment 154: 129-139
Mitchell, E. & Baker, A.N. 1980. Age of reputedly old killer whale, Orcinus orca, 'Old Tom' from Eden, Twofold Bay, Australia. Reports of the International Whaling Commission Special Issue 3: 43-154
Watson, L. 1981. Sea Guide to Whales of the World. London : Hutchinson 302 pp.
Common Name References
ABRS 2001. Census of Australian Vertebrates. Australian Biological Resources Study. (Killer Whale)
History of changes
| Published | As part of group | Action Date | Action Type | Compiler(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16-Dec-2010 | 16-Oct-2013 | MODIFIED | ||
| 16-Dec-2010 | MODIFIED |