Migratory and diurnal activity of North Atlantic killer whales (Orcinus orca) off northern Norway

2020 ◽  
Vol 533 ◽  
pp. 151456
Author(s):  
Rune Dietz ◽  
Audun H. Rikardsen ◽  
Martin Biuw ◽  
Lars Kleivane ◽  
Christina Lehmkuhl Noer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North Atlantic ◽  
Orcinus Orca ◽  
Diurnal Activity ◽  
Killer Whales ◽  
Northern Norway

Preliminary findings of restriction fragment differences in mitochondrial DNA among killer whales (Orcinus orca)

1989 ◽  
Vol 67 (10) ◽  
pp. 2592-2595 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracy A. Stevens ◽  
Deborah A. Duffield ◽  
Edward D. Asper ◽  
K. Gilbey Hewlett ◽  
Al Bolz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mitochondrial Dna ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
North Pacific ◽  
Killer Whale ◽  
Vancouver Island ◽  
Restriction Pattern ◽  
Orcinus Orca ◽  
Killer Whales ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Pacific

A preliminary assessment of mitochondrial DNA restriction patterns in the killer whale (Orcinus orca) was conducted using 10 captive North Atlantic killer whales from the southeastern coast of Iceland, a captive-born offspring of one of these whales, and 9 North Pacific killer whales. No restriction pattern variation was seen among these whales, using the enzymes BamH I, Bgl II, Hinf I, Kpn I, or Pvu II. Restriction pattern variation was found using the enzyme Hae III. This restriction endonuclease distinguished the North Atlantic killer whales (type 1) from the North Pacific killer whales. The North Pacific killer whales were further differentiated into two groups: those originating from the "resident" communities of the Vancouver Island region (type 2), and those from the "transient" community of Vancouver Island, as well as those stranded along the Oregon coast (type 3). The observed Hae III restriction pattern differences suggest that mitochondrial DNA analysis will be a valuable technique for investigating regional and local distributions of maternal lineages among killer whale pods, especially in the North Pacific.

A comparison of pigmentation features among North Atlantic killer whale (Orcinus orca) populations

2014 ◽  
Vol 94 (6) ◽  
pp. 1335-1341 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pirjo Mäkeläinen ◽  
Ruth Esteban ◽  
Andrew D. Foote ◽  
Sanna Kuningas ◽  
Julius Nielsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North Atlantic ◽  
Common Ancestor ◽  
Killer Whale ◽  
Orcinus Orca ◽  
Recent Common Ancestor ◽  
Killer Whales ◽  
Parallel Orientation ◽  
Local Populations ◽  
Most Recent Common Ancestor ◽  
Phylogenetic Divergence

Here we present a comparison of saddle and eye patch patterns of killer whales from Norwegian, Icelandic, British, Spanish and Greenlandic waters. We found only a small amount of variation in saddle patch shapes, which may reflect a recent phylogenetic divergence from the most recent common ancestor. Eye patch shapes were more variable than saddle patches in small details. Most individuals had eye patches with parallel orientation, with the exception of a small group of killer whales from the Hebrides, which, as previously reported, had sloping eye patches that sloped downward at the posterior end. This differentiation in pigmentation patterns of the Hebridean killer whales from neighbouring populations could reflect one or more of several evolutionary processes, including a deeper phylogenetic divergence, low gene flow with other local populations and drift.

scholarly journals Isotopic niche differs between seal and fish‐eating killer whales ( Orcinus orca ) in northern Norway

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 4115-4127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eve Jourdain ◽  
Clare Andvik ◽  
Richard Karoliussen ◽  
Anders Ruus ◽  
Dag Vongraven ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Orcinus Orca ◽  
Isotopic Niche ◽  
Killer Whales ◽  
Northern Norway

Long‐distance movements of North Atlantic killer whales ( Orcinus orca ) from Iceland via Spain and Italy to Lebanon

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie‐Thérèse Mrusczok ◽  
Biagio Violi ◽  
Milad Fakhri ◽  
Giulia Calogero ◽  
Elia Biasissi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North Atlantic ◽  
Orcinus Orca ◽  
Killer Whales ◽  
Long Distance

Surface and underwater observations of cooperatively feeding killer whales in northern Norway

1993 ◽  
Vol 71 (8) ◽  
pp. 1494-1499 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiu Similä ◽  
Fernando Ugarte
Keyword(s):  
Clupea Harengus ◽  
Orcinus Orca ◽  
Defence Mechanism ◽  
Killer Whales ◽  
Northern Norway ◽  
Schooling Fish ◽  
Feeding Techniques

Killer whales (Orcinus orca) feeding on herring (Clupea harengus) were observed both from the surface and underwater. We refer to one of the feeding techniques used by killer whales as the carousel method, whereby whales cooperatively herded herring into a tight ball close to the surface. During herding and feeding, whales swam around and under a school of herring, performing much lobtailing and porpoising. When the herring were gathered into a tight ball whales often swam with the white underside of their body towards the fish and emitted large bubbles close to the surface. While feeding, whales spent more time circling around the ball of fish than eating. Ball formation is a known defence mechanism used by schooling fish, and the effort by killer whales appeared to be directed towards keeping the ball very dense and close to the surface. The whales stunned their prey by slapping the edge of the school with the underside of their flukes and then ate the stunned fish one by one. The tail slaps created a loud banging sound which could have been either a by-product or an aid to stunning the prey.

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