What kind of food does a pilot whale eat?
Pilot whales are carnivores that prey primarily on squid. They also eat octopuses and several species of fish, including Atlantic cod, blue whiting, herring, and mackerel. They have an unusually high metabolism for deep-diving hunters.
What are some interesting facts about pilot whales?
Here are eight interesting facts about them, including the reasons why they are known for mass strandings. 1. Pilot whales live nearly everywhere in the world, with long-finned pilot whales ( Globicephala melas) generally found in colder waters and short-finned pilot whales ( Globicephala macrorhynchus) preferring tropical and subtropical waters.
What kind of predators do pilot whales have?
The species may be preyed upon by large sharks, but humans are the principal predator. Pilot whales may be infested with whale lice, nematodes, and cestodes, plus they are susceptible to many of the same bacterial and viral infections as other mammals .
Are there any predators that attack sperm whales?
There is no evidence that pilot whales are a real threat to sperm whales. Nevertheless, the latter react to killer whale and pilot whale attacks in the same manner. False killer whales and sharks can also prey on sperm whales.
What is the Diet of pilot whale?
Pilot Whale – genus Globicephala Description. Pilot Whales are dark black in color most of the time. Behavior. You may not get to see the Pilot Whale as often as other species. Diet/Feeding. The Pilot Whale has quite a selection when it comes to the foods they eat. Distribution. There is nowhere you won’t find the Pilot Whale. Reproduction. Human Interaction. Conservation.
What is the prey of the pilot whale?
What do short-finned pilot whales eat? Pilot whales will catch and eat fish such as mackerel, hake, herring and cod but their favourite prey, by far, are squids and octopuses. Their squid-eating habit is evident when looking inside their mouths as they have far fewer teeth than dolphins that prefer to grab and eat fish.
What is the pilot whale’s food chain?
Pilot Whale Feeding The majority of the food that they eat is squid but they will also dine on various species of fish. Cephalopods, crustaceans, and octopus can also be part of the diet but it depends on where they live. They feed mainly at night and they will do so in water that is from 656 feet to 1,640 feet deep.
How do pilot whales get food?
They do sometimes eat Observation of the Pilot Whales indicate that they work together in order to get the food that they want. The fringed baleen then acts as a sieve – the whales squeeze the water out through the baleen, leaving their food caught on the baleen.