CreatureData

False killer whale vs Orca

The orca is heavier: 4.3 t against 1.36 t for the false killer whale, about 3.2 times the weight.

False killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens)
False killer whale NTNear Threatened
Photo: Credit at source · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Orca (Orcinus orca)
Orca DDData Deficient
Photo: Robert Pittman · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

What is the difference between a false killer whale and a orca?

Each point below is worked out from a pair of recorded values.

  • The orca is heavier: 4.3 t against 1.36 t for the false killer whale, about 3.2 times the weight.
  • The orca is longer-lived: 90 years against 33.5 years for the false killer whale, about 2.7 times the lifespan.
  • They share the family Delphinidae but sit in different genera: False killer whale in Pseudorca, Orca in Orcinus.
  • The false killer whale is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List; the orca is Data Deficient.

Side by side

False killer whaleOrca
Scientific namePseudorca crassidensOrcinus orca
FamilyDelphinidaeDelphinidae
OrderCetaceaCetacea
Weight1.36 t4.3 t
LengthNot recordedNot recorded
Lifespan33.5 years90 years
Main foodNot recordedafrican penguin, albatross, atlantic bluefin tuna, atlantic spotted dolphin, atlantic wolffish, balaenoptera musculus and 42 more
Habitatmarinemarine
Conservation statusNear ThreatenedData Deficient
Countries recordedNot recordedNot recorded

A scale drawing needs a recorded length for both animals; only weights are on record for this pair.

Full record: False killer whaleFull record: OrcaCompare other animals