MANY-TOOTHED BLACKFISH (T) 



Peponocephala electra (Gray 1846) 



Other Common Names 



Hawaiian blackfish, melon-headed whale. 



Description 



Many-toothed blackfish reach lengths of at least 9 feet (2.7 

 m) and are similar in body shape to the larger false killer 

 whale and the similar-sized pygmy killer whale. The body is 

 elongated and slim with a rather slim tail stock. In general, 

 the head is shaped like that of the false killer whale but has a 

 sharper appearance to the snout, sometimes described as 

 a parrot- beak. The forehead is rounded, slightly overhanging 

 the lower jaw, and has no beak. The dorsal fin is up to 10 

 inches (25.4 cm). It is probably very distinctive as the animals 

 surface to breathe. Many-toothed blackfish are black on the 

 back and slightly lighter on the belly. The areas around the 

 anus and genitals and the lips are unpigmented. Many- 

 toothed blackfish are presumably rare. 



May Be Confused With 



Many-toothed blackfish may be confused with either the 

 false killer whale or the pygmy killer whale. They are 

 considerably smaller than the false killer whale, have a 

 slightly more pointed snout, and lack the prominent humplike 



forward margin on the flippers which is characteristic of the 

 false killer whale. 



They are approximately the same size as pygmy killer 

 whales, but the white area around the genitals which extends 

 up onto the side in pygmy killer whales may be lacking in 

 many-toothed blackfish. This species has pointed flippers, 

 while those of pygmy killer whales are rounded on the tips. 

 Many-toothed blackfish also have a slightly more pointed 

 snout. Otherwise, the two species are virtually indistinguish- 

 able in encounters at sea. 



Distribution 



Although many-toothed blackfish have not yet been 

 reported in the western North Atlantic, they are included 

 in this guide because of a record from the eastern tropical 

 North Atlantic and the known tropical distribution in 

 other areas. 



Stranded Specimens 



Stranded many-toothed blackfish can be distinguished 

 from false killer and pygmy killer whales by the number of 

 teeth alone. Many-toothed blackfish have more than 1.5 per 

 side per jaw (usually 21-25); both other species have 

 less than 15. 



Figure 156. — A live many-toothed blackfish in a holding pen 

 in the Philippines. At sea these animals will be virtually 

 impossible to distinguish from pygmy killer whales. [Photos 

 by T. Hammond.) 





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