orcinus orca is the scientific name for a killer whale.
orcinus orca is the scientific name for a killer whale.
what is the scientific name for a killer whale?
orcinus orca
the familiar killer whale ("orcinus orca") is a cosmopolitan species, found in all oceans of the world. despite being the most widespread mammal in the world, only one species is currently recognized. oceanic science journals have long hinted at the existence of a complex breed of miniature killer whales since the 1950s. the dwarf killer whale is a type of killer whale found in antarctic waters believed by some scientists to be a distinct species from the larger killer whales found throughout the world's oceans. since soviet researchers proposed new species in the 1980s, the differences in killer whales have been studied more closely in order to gain more credible knowledge on possible subspecies of the killer whale. there are several ecotypes that have been established in regards to the whales physical appearances and body length by pitman and colleagues. a recent study proposed by pitman et al. (2007) used aerial photogrammetry to determine the size of numerous type c killer whales, supporting early soviet research which suggested that one or possibly two distinct species of killer whale exist in the southern ocean. therefore, scientific evidence is starting to make the connection between ecotype c and the dwarf killer whale.
dwarf killer whale
creatures by the name of "orca" or "orc" have appeared throughout the history of western literature, most often as predators portrayed as being threatening to humans. the first written description of a killer whale was given by pliny the elder "circa" ad 70, who wrote, "orcas (the appearance of which no image can express, other than an enormous mass of savage flesh with teeth) are the enemy of [other whales]... they charge and pierce them like warships ramming." in ludovico ariosto's epic poem "orlando furioso", the "orca" (sometimes translated "orc") was a sea-monster from whom the damsel angelica was rescued by orlando. this killer whale-like sea monster also appears in michael drayton's epic poem "polyolbion" and in john milton's "paradise lost". the animal was known to herman melville, who nonetheless already had his antagonist in the sperm whale in his work "moby-dick". in the 1970s, the killer whale came to be seen more broadlt as a monster. as late as the 1970s, killer whales were at times depicted negatively in fiction as ravenous predators whose behavior caused heroes to interfere to help a prey animal escape. the poorly received film "orca" features the story of a male killer whale going on what appears to be a vengeful rampage after his pregnant mate is killed by humans; yet at the same time, the film shows the killer whale having the intelligence needed both for vengeance and at the film's end, seemingly for forgiveness. in contrast, the 1974 walt disney produced motion picture "the island at the top of the world" portrayed killer whales as bloodthirsty hunters of the protagonists in one particularly brutal scene. in "jaws" (1975), the name of the boat used to hunt the great white shark is the "orca", given the killer whale's status as a known predator of the shark. however, in the sequel "jaws 2", the shark's first victim is a killer whale, which was probably intended more as a hollywood joke than an accurate portrayal of the eating habits of great white sharks.
killer whales in popular culture