Melon-headed whale ©M.Dewynter/CARIMAM

Melon-headed whale (Peponocephala electra)©J.Chazal/OMMAG

- TAXONOMY
Class : Mammalia
Order : Cetartiodactyla
Infraorder : Cetacea
Parvorder : Odontoceti
Family: Delphinidae
Common names:
English: Melon-headed whale
Spanish: Delfín cabeza de melón
French: Péponocéphale

- MORPHOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR
Morphology: somewhat pointed snout and no beak. Relatively robust body, compared to other small delphinids. Stocky and slightly falcate dorsal fin.
Color and patterns: Dark body, except for the grayish belly and the white lips.
Body length: 2-3 m
Confusion with other species: It is difficult to differentiate it from the pygmy killer whale, whose head is more rounded, and which has a dark cape that descends on the sides of the body, below the dorsal fin.
Group size: usually several dozen to few hundred individuals.
Specific behavior: often associated with other small oceanic delphinid species when travelling. When resting, they usually form typical very compact groups. This highly gregarious species is well known for mass strandings.
Feeding: feeds mainly on small deep-sea oceanic fish and cephalopods, when they rise to few hundred meters from the surface, at night.

- DISTRIBUTION
Global distribution: they occur in tropical and subtropical waters of all oceans, from 35° south to 40° north.
Sightings in the Wider Caribbean region: The species is common in the whole Wider Caribbean region, but it is mainly observed over continental slopes and insular slopes.

- CONSERVATION
Global IUCN status: LC (Least Concern)
SPAW status: The Melon-headed whale is classified in Annex II of the SPAW Protocol since 1991.

Sources :
International Whaling Commission
IUCN (2021) The IUCN redlist of threatened species.
IUCN and Zoological Society of London (2012) National Red Lists
Jefferson T.A., Webber M.A., Pitman R.L. (2015) Marine mammals of the world : a comprehensive guide to their identification. Academic Press.
Kaschner, K., Reeves, R. (2011) LifeWeb species distribution factsheets.
NOOA (2021) Species fact sheets - Marine mammals.
Ocean Science & Logistic (2020) Guide des cétacés de Guyane française. OSL, canopée des Science, Cayenne, Guyane française.
Savouré-Soubelet A., Aulagnier S., Haffner P., et al. (coord.) (2016) Atlas des mammifères sauvages de France volume 1 : Mammifères marins. Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris ; IRD, Marseille.
Society for marine mammalogy-Species fact sheets
SPAW-RAC. (2020). Implementation of the Action Plan for Marine Mammals in the Wider Caribbean Region: A Scientific and Technical Analysis. Authored by Vail, C. and Borobia, M. UNEP, SPAW-RAC.
Ward, N., Bogomolni, A., Potter, C. (2013) A stranding guide to marine mammals of the Wider Caribbean region : An introduction field for stranding responders. Gecko Production Inc. ISBN : 978-1-891694-00-4.