No photo available
Melon-headed whale
Peponocephala electra
Valid name.
- English
- Melon-headed whale
- Scientific
- Peponocephala electra
- Dhivehi
- No recorded Dhivehi name
- Group
- Dolphins
- Maximum size
- About 2.7-2.8 m
- Depth and habitat
- Deep oceanic waters
- IUCN status
- LC · Least ConcernLeast Concern (LC), assessed 2019
Description
A small, dark grey 'blackfish' with a rounded, pointed head and no obvious beak, a dark facial mask and white lips. It is easily confused with the pygmy killer whale, but has more pointed flippers and a more triangular head when seen from above. It lives in large, tight groups that may number hundreds. It feeds on squid and small fish in deep water.
In the Maldives
Particularly common in the south of the Maldives but rare in the centre and north. At least 12 strandings recorded to 2012, the most of any dolphin species in the Maldives.
Sources
- sealifebase.se /summary/Peponocephala-electra.html
- mammalwatching.com /wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Maldives-cetaceans-review-2012.pdf
- mrc.gov.mv /assets/Uploads/2005-Observations-of-cetaceans-in-the-Maldives-1990-20
- commons.wikimedia.org /wiki/File:Peponocephala_electra_Mayotte.jpg
Dhivehi name source: No Dhivehi name found in the cetacean literature reviewed (Anderson 2005; Anderson et al. 2012), FishBase/SeaLifeBase or Dhivehi Wikipedia.