view of an animal stranded in
southeastern Florida, note the extremely distinctive "hump" on the
forward margin of the flippers and the narrow head, tapering towards the
tip of the snout. (_Photo by J. Krol._)]

[Illustration: Figure 96.--False killer whales have from 8 to 11 large,
conspicuous teeth in each side of each jaw. These teeth are often
visible in swimming animals, particularly when they are engaged in their
obnoxious habit of stealing fish from the lines of fishermen. The teeth
are so distinctive that they can also be used to identify even a badly
decomposed stranded specimen. (_Photo, courtesy of Sea Life Park,
Hawaii._)]

ATLANTIC PILOT WHALE (T)

_Globicephala melaena_ (Traill 1809)

Other Common Names

Northern pilot whale, long-finned pilot whale, pothead, blackfish,
calling whale, caa'ing whale.

Description

Male Atlantic pilot whales reach an average length of at least 20 feet
(6.2 m). Females are slightly smaller, probably not exceeding 18 feet
(5.5 m). Young are 5-7 feet (1.5-2.1 m) at birth.

The head is thick and bulbous, a characteristic which reaches an extreme
in the development of the head of adult males (prompting the common name
"pothead"). The flippers are long (to one-fifth of the body length, or
more) and sickle-shaped. The tail is dorsally thickened just in front of
the flukes.

The dorsal fin of this species is one of its most distinctive
characteristics. It is low in profile, has a long base, is set far
forward on the animal's back, and is falcate to "flaglike" in
appearance. The dorsal fin of adult males reportedly has a thicker
leading edge and a rounder form than that of the female.

Atlantic pilot whales are black on the back and sides (prompting the
common name "blackfish") but have an anchor-shaped patch of grayish
white on the chin and a gray area on the belly, both of which are
variable in extent and intensity. Some larger animals have a gray saddle
behind the dorsal fin, though this zone of color is found more
frequently in short-finned pilot whales. Young animals are often a
lighter medium gray.

Natural History Notes

Atlantic pilot whales may occur in herds of 200 animals or more, though
herds of 50 or fewer (4-6) are more common. They are sometimes found in
association with Atlantic white-sided dolphins.

Pilot whales are sometimes found hanging vertically in the water with
the head and part of the back out of the water in what has been calle