- See also: False Killer Whale Partner
The False Killer Whale (Pseudorca crassidens) is a large species of dolphin found in both Endless Ocean and Endless Ocean 2.
It is colored dark-grey or black, has long pectoral fins, and has a rounded snout. It doesn't get its name from looking like a killer whale outright - instead, its skull shape strongly resembles that of a killer whale's. The name of the genus it belongs to, Pseudorca, translates directly from Latin into "false orca".
In-Game
Marine Encyclopedia
Endless Ocean
Description
“These mammals have long, spindle-shaped bodies, small heads, and dorsal fins that are centered on the back. They are usually black or dark gray in color. There is only one specimen in all of Manoa Lai, and it is located in the White Room of the Great Aqua Cave.
Their pectoral fins are bent at the midway point, and their dorsal fins are tall and sickle shaped. They move in groups of a dozen to several dozen and have the ability to jump like any other dolphin. It is not uncommon for these animals to move with, or even breed with, other dolphin species.
The species name for this animal, crassidens, means “broad teeth.” They are so named because of the eight to eleven large teeth on either side of their jaws. The genus name Pseudorca literally means “false killer whale.”
Partner description
"Your trusted partner! This creature was standing guard like a dutiful knight over the Pearl of Manoa Lai in the deep recesses of the Great Aqua Cave. These animals are rarely seen in the waters of Manoa Lai.
This dolphin has a somewhat stoic disposition combined with a fierce intellect. Unlike the fun-loving bottlenose dolphin, this one seems aloof and detached. Animals of this species generally live between fifty and sixty years, but it is not known how old this specimen is.
This creature is a carnivore and possesses large fangs that can be used to hunt large prey--like squid and even other dolphins. There is even a documented case of these dolphins attacking a humpback whale."
Endless Ocean 2
Description
"Black with a characteristic high, curved dorsal fin and a bend halfway along each of its flippers, it lives in pods of just a few to dozens and can jump to the same height as a small dolphin.
It is often found amongst dolphins and there are some false killer whale and bottlenose dolphin hybrids."
[Why 'False Killer Whale'?]
"Both this name and its Latin one, pseudorca, come from its resemblance to the orca - the real killer whale.
The other part of the Latin name, crassidens, means 'thick teeth'; it has 16 - 22 large teeth on each jaw. It has been known to eat small dolphins."
Location
Endless Ocean
There is only one false killer whale in Manoa Lai, found in the Great Aqua Cave's White Room. If the player revisits this room after having befriended this species, then another specimen will take his place.
Endless Ocean 2
The only wild false killer whale is found in the Mermaid's Ballroom in Valka Castle. However, two others can be found on the Echoing Terrace when the Cavern of the Gods is first opened, though they are only temporary residents; this marks the first time in the series where this species does not appear alone.
A false killer whale with a distinctive facial scar can be befriended later in the game, as a part of the "Be the Best Trainer" quest.
Introductory Dialogue
Endless Ocean
Introduction
Katherine: "A black dolphin? It might be a false killer whale. I'm surprised to find one so far inside a cave. This is really rare. Hey, why don't you try interacting with it? If you become friends, it might become your partner."
Endless Ocean 2
Favorite Creature
Jean-Eric: "That's a false killer whale. It's bigger than other members of the dolphin family. They get their name from their similarity to orcas, also called killer whales. They're curious and intelligent, and some even appear in shows at aquariums. I think they're absolutely beautiful."
Behavior
They simply swim around with no particular pattern in both games, and like all other cetaceans, respond positively to the sound of the Sea Whistle, which is how their trivia is unlocked in the second game.
Gallery
Notes
- This is one of Jean-Eric's favorite creatures.
Real-Life Information
- The in-game descriptions from both games make note of the meaning of the meaning of the false killer whale's scientific name. Accurately, both report that the genus name Pesudorca means "false killer whale" and that crassidens means "thick teeth"[1][2].
- The false killer whale is notable for its friendly interactions with other dolphins, which are mentioned in both of its in-game descriptions. It has been shown to form pods with other species of dolphin, like bottlenose dolphins, as well as mate with them[3][4][5]; sadly, this largely-social nature sometimes contributes to mass strandings of entire pods of false killer whales[6][7].
- However, it has also been occasionally known to feed on other dolphins or even large whales like humpbacks[8][9]; this is mentioned in the partner description from the first game and the trivia from the second. These occurrences are rare, though, and they tend to prefer squid, tuna, and mahi-mahi[7][9].
- Pods of false killer whales tend to be family groups, or larger pods that have smaller family groups within them; pods range from 10-40 individuals, though they tend to be between 15-25[10][11]. There are occasional "superpods" that can involve hundreds of whales[11]. This makes the note of pod sizes in both game's descriptions largely accurate.
- As aforementioned, they are highly sociable, forming long-lasting bonds; specimens around the Hawaiian islands have been shown to stay there with a pod for upwards of 20 years[8]. This would make up a good chunk of the false killer whale's long lifespan, which is upwards of 60 years (as is somewhat-correctly noted in the first game's partner description)[8][7].
- Both in-game descriptions make note of a characteristic bend in the pectoral fins of false killer whales; this is indeed a trait seen in real life, and it is sometimes colloquially called an "elbow"[1][12].
- When the false killer whale was first described in the year 1846, it was mistakenly categorized as a type of porpoise rather than a dolphin, based solely on a fossilized skull[6][13]. This classification was updated when scientists got the opportunity to study deceased specimens in 1862[14]. Until a pod was found in 1861, only having fossils of them led scientists to believe that false killer whales were an extinct species[2].
- The name "false killer whale" is not based on a genetic relationship to the orca, or "true" killer whale; rather, it is based on the similarities in the appearances of the skulls[2][8]. In terms of taxonomy - what is considered a genetic relationship - false killer whales appear to be more closely related to pygmy sperm whales and Risso's dolphins[10][15].
- On the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's list of endangered species, the false killer whale is listed as "near threatened"[16]. This means that it isn't at immediate risk of extinction, but there are factors currently driving down its population numbers. However, there is one population that lives in the waters around Hawai'i that has been given the "endangered" status[17].
Bottlenose Dolphin
• Pacific White-Sided Dolphin
• Short-Beaked Common Dolphin
Commerson's Dolphin
• Orca
• Risso's Dolphin
• Beluga
• False Killer Whale
• Narwhal
Spectacled Porpoise
• Amazon River Dolphin
• Southern Bottlenose Whale
• Humpback Whale
North Atlantic Right Whale
• Pygmy Sperm Whale
• Antarctic Minke Whale
• Gray Whale
Sperm Whale
• Blue Whale
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 MarineBio
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Pacific Whale Foundation
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Scientific American
- ↑ National Geographic
- ↑ LA Times
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 SportDiver
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Wild About Whales
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 International Whaling Commission
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Animal Diversity Web
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Oceana
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 U.S. Whale and Dolphin Conservation
- ↑ Holo Holo Charters
- ↑ "A history of British fossil mammals, and birds"; Richard Owen
- ↑ "Recent memoirs on the Cetacea"; Daniel Friedrich Eschricht, Wilhelm Lilljeborg, Johannes Reinhardt, William Henry Flower
- ↑ "Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals"; Bernd Würsig, William F. Perrin, J.G.M. Thewissen
- ↑ IUCN Red List
- ↑ Cascadia Research Collective
- ↑ FAO Fisheries Division