(of)Traill, T. S. T. (1809). Description of a new species of whale, Delphinus melas. In a letter from Thomas Stewart Traill, M. D. to Mr. Nicholson. Journal of Natural Philosophy, Chemistry, and the Arts. 22: 81--83., available online athttps://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/829112[details]
Note Scapay Bay, Pomona, Orkney Islands, Scotland, UK
From editor or global species database
Type locality Scapay Bay, Pomona, Orkney Islands, Scotland, UK [details]
Distribution in all oceans except Northern Indian Ocean and North Pacific (where they occurred historically off Japan).
Distribution in all oceans except Northern Indian Ocean and North Pacific (where they occurred historically off Japan). [details]
Distribution Antarctica/Southern Ocean; Southeast Pacific; Eastern Atlantic Ocean, Indo-West Pacific; Western Atlantic Ocean
Distribution Antarctica/Southern Ocean; Southeast Pacific; Eastern Atlantic Ocean, Indo-West Pacific; Western Atlantic Ocean [details]
Fordyce, E.; Perrin, W.F. (2025). World Cetacea Database. Globicephala melas (Traill, 1809). Accessed through: Nozères, C., Kennedy, M.K. (Eds.) (2025) Canadian Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/carms/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=137097 on 2025-04-04
Nozères, C., Kennedy, M.K. (Eds.) (2025). Canadian Register of Marine Species. Globicephala melas (Traill, 1809). Accessed at: https://www.marinespecies.org/carms/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=137097 on 2025-04-04
original description(of)Traill, T. S. T. (1809). Description of a new species of whale, Delphinus melas. In a letter from Thomas Stewart Traill, M. D. to Mr. Nicholson. Journal of Natural Philosophy, Chemistry, and the Arts. 22: 81--83., available online athttps://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/829112[details]
context source (PeRMS)Reyes, J. (2009). Ballenas, delfines y otros cetáceos del Perú. Una fuente de información. Lima- Perú. Squema-Ediciones. 160 pp.[details]
basis of recordvan der Land, J. (2001). Tetrapoda, in: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels, 50: pp. 375-376 (look up in IMIS) [details]
additional sourceCarwardine, M., E. Hoyt, R. E. Fordyce and P. Gill. 1998. Whales, dolphins and porpoises. Time-Life Books. Nature Company Guides, USA. 288 p.[details]
additional sourceMuller, Y. (2004). Faune et flore du littoral du Nord, du Pas-de-Calais et de la Belgique: inventaire. [Coastal fauna and flora of the Nord, Pas-de-Calais and Belgium: inventory]. Commission Régionale de Biologie Région Nord Pas-de-Calais: France. 307 pp., available online athttp://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/145561.pdf[details]
additional sourceMead, J. G.; Brownell, R. L. Jr. (2005). Cetacea. In Wilson, D.E. & D.M. Reeder (eds). Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed), Johns Hopkins University Press, 2,142 pp. 723--743., available online athttp://www.bucknell.edu/msw3/[details]
additional sourceHershkovitz, P. (1966). Catalog of Living Whales. Bulletin of the United States National Museum. (246): 1-259., available online athttps://doi.org/10.5479/si.03629236.246[details]
additional sourceJefferson, T. A., M. A. Webber and R. L. Pitman. (2008). Marine mammals of the world. Academic Press, Amsterdam.[details]
additional sourcePerrin, W.F.; Würsig, B.; Thewissen, J.G.M. (2009). Encyclopedia of marine mammals. Second edition. Academic Press: London. ISBN 978-0-12-373553-9. xxix, 1316 pp. (look up in IMIS) [details]
additional sourceIntegrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS). , available online athttp://www.itis.gov[details]
ecology sourceLooby, A.; Erbe, C.; Bravo, S.; Cox, K.; Davies, H. L.; Di Iorio, L.; Jézéquel, Y.; Juanes, F.; Martin, C. W.; Mooney, T. A.; Radford, C.; Reynolds, L. K.; Rice, A. N.; Riera, A.; Rountree, R.; Spriel, B.; Stanley, J.; Vela, S.; Parsons, M. J. G. (2023). Global inventory of species categorized by known underwater sonifery. Scientific Data. 10(1). (look up in IMIS), available online athttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-023-02745-4[details]
Present Inaccurate Introduced: alien Containing type locality
From editor or global species database
Southern Ocean
(no group)
Unreviewed
Belgium
France
Gulf of Saint Lawrence
Mediterranean Sea
New Zealand
North Atlantic Ocean
North Sea
From editor or global species database
Diet squid mostly but also a variety of fish. [details] Distribution in all oceans except Northern Indian Ocean and North Pacific (where they occurred historically off Japan). [details] Distribution Antarctica/Southern Ocean; Southeast Pacific; Eastern Atlantic Ocean, Indo-West Pacific; Western Atlantic Ocean [details] Habitat offshore; generally occupy areas of high relief or submerged banks. [details] Holotype None; see Lectotype [details] IUCN Red List Category Data Deficient (DD) [details] Importance Are still hunted in Faero Islands. [details] Lectotype Figured specimen, one of 92 whales stranded December 1806; skull in British Museum (Natural History), no. 363a--44.12.3.2, purchased 1844 from Traill. [details] Morphology Distinguishing characteristics: black-coloured whales with a white belly, spherical melon and a robust body. No constriction at the neck and the body is quite cylindrical from the head backward to the region of the dorsal fin. Dorsal fin has a long base, it is low, directed backwards and is set for forward on the body. 8-13 teeth in each of the 4 jaws and flippers which are 1/5 of the body length. [details] Reproduction Female matures sexually at 6-7 years, male not until 12 years. In North Atlantic, mate in February and March in warm water and the young are born between July and October 15 to 16 months later in cooler water. Nursed for 20 months. Remain with their mother for 2 years. [details] Type locality Scapay Bay, Pomona, Orkney Islands, Scotland, UK [details]
Unreviewed
Dimensions Legth: male 13-25' (4-7.6 m), female 10-18 1/2' (3-5.6 m), at birth 6' (1.9 m) [details] Habitat temperate and subpolar, mostly oceanic [details] Predators None [details]
social whaleround-headed porpoiseroundheadpotheadnorthern pilot whalelong-finned pilot whaleIndian pilot whaledriving whalecommon pilot whalecommon blackfishcaa'ing whaleblackfishAtlantic blackfishAmerican black-fish
Present 
