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The orca (Orcinus orca), or killer whale, is a toothed whale and the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family. It is the only extant species in the genus Orcinus and is recognizable by its black-and-white patterned body.
The genus Orcinus was published by Leopold Fitzinger in 1860, [4] its type species is the orca named by Linnaeus in 1758 as Delphinus orca.Taxonomic arrangements of delphinids published by workers before and after Fitzinger, such as John Edward Gray as Orca in 1846 and Orca (Gladiator) in 1870, are recognized as synonyms of Orcinus.
Diagram featuring the typical skeletal of a toothed whale (top) and a baleen whale (bottom) The cetacean skeleton is largely made up of cortical bone , which stabilizes the animal in the water. For this reason, the usual terrestrial compact bones, which are finely woven cancellous bone , are replaced with lighter and more elastic material.
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Orca hunting a Weddell seal. The orca is known to prey on numerous other toothed whale species. One example is the false killer whale. [69] To subdue and kill whales, orcas continually ram them with their heads; this can sometimes kill bowhead whales, or severely injure them. Other times, they corral their prey before striking.
The orca's anatomy is adapted to hearing underwater rather than in air. Incoming sounds, including echoes, are collected by the lower mandible , which functions as the orca's outer ear . The remaining parts of the two ears, in the auditory bullae , are connected to the rear of the lower mandible.