Finding of a skull of Pseudorca crassidens in Caleta de Los Loros, Rio Negro Province, Argentina

Abstract

The false killer whale, Pseudorca crassidens, exhibits one of the widest and most continuous distributions among cetaceans. However, basic information about its biology is poorly known due to the low frequency of sightings and its offshore habits. Moreover, most of the knowledge on this species has been obtained from stranded animals. On 3 March 2012, in the proximity of a colony of South American sea lions (Otaria flavescens) located at Caleta de los Loros, Río Negro Province, Argentina (40o59’S, 64o14’W), a cetacean skull was found in the intertidal zone. The specimen was later identified as P. crassidens. The present note reports a new record of false killer whale in the continental shelf waters of Argentina and provides new data on the distribution and skull morphometrics of the species.