First sighting of false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens) in the northern Aegean Sea

05/15/2020 Arda Tonay

First sighting of false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens) in the northern Aegean Sea

Ayhan Dede, Arda M. Tonay, Onur Gönülal, Ayaka Amaha Öztürk

Faculty of Aquatic Sciences, Istanbul University, Ordu Cad. No: 8, 34134, Fatih, Istanbul, TURKEY
Turkish Marine Research Foundation (TUDAV), P.O. Box: 10, 34820, Beykoz, Istanbul, TURKEY

ORCID IDs: A.D. 0000-0002-7712-615X; A.M.T. 0000-0003-2718-9328; O.G. 0000-0002-5559-3953; A.A.Ö. 0000-0003-2281-7372

Abstract

A sighting of a group of false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens) was reported for the first time in the northern Aegean Sea. It was also the first reported sighting in 25 years for the Aegean Sea. Eight individuals in total were recorded in a footage taken by a local fisherman. During the hauling of the handline, it was observed that one juvenile came to the line to play with it. The information of such sightings of rare species is valuable to understand the regional biodiversity.

Key words: False killer whale, Pseudorca crassidens, northern Aegean Sea

pdf-dl icon

References

Baird, R.W. (2009) False killer whale Pseudorca crassidens. In: Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals. (eds., Perrin, W.F., Würsig, B., Thewissen, G.M.) Second edition, Academic Press, pp. 405-406.

Baird, R.W. (2018) Pseudorca crassidens (errata version published in 2019). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T18596A145357488. (Accessed on 2 February 2020.)

Bearzi, G. (2002) Interactions between cetacean and fisheries in the Mediterranean Sea. In: Cetaceans of the Mediterranean and Black Seas: State of Knowledge and Conservation Strategies. (ed. Notarbartolo di Sciara, G.), A report to the ACCOBAMS Secretariat, Monaco, February 2002. Section 9, 20p.

Crofts, S., Martien, K. K., Robertson, K. M., Stanworth, A., Massam, S., Weir, C. R. (2019) First record of false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens) in the Falkland Islands (Malvinas). Polar Biology 42(10): 1923-1929.

Frantzis, A., Alexiadou, P., Paximadis, G., Politi, E., Gannier, A., Corsini-Foka, M. (2003) Current knowledge of the cetacean fauna of the Greek Seas. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 5(3): 219-232.

Jefferson, T.A., Webber, M.A., Pitman, R.L. (2015) Marine Mammals of the World: A Comprehensive Guide to Their Identification. Second edition. Academic Press, Elsevier. 613p.

Notarbartolo di Sciara, G., Birkun, A., Jr. (2010) Conserving Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises in the Mediterranean and Black Seas: an ACCOBAMS Status Report. ACCOBAMS, Monaco, 212p.

Öztürk, B., Öztürk, A.A. (1998) Cetacean strandings in the Aegean coasts of Turkey. Rapp Comm Int Expl Sci Mer Médit 35: 476-477.

Reeves, R., Notarbartolo di Sciara, G. (2006) The Status and Distribution of Cetaceans in the Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea. IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation, Malaga, Spain. 137 p.

Ryan, C., Romagosa, M., Boisseau, O., Cucknell, A-C., Frantzis, A., Moscrop, A., McLanaghan, R. (2013) Cruise Report for a Visual and Acoustic Survey for Marine Mammals of the Aegean Sea and Levantine Sea, Eastern Mediterranean Conducted from R/V Song of the Whale, July to September 2013. Marine Conservation Research International, UK, 26p.