What is the common name for Orcinus orca?

What is the common name for Orcinus orca? The answer is the killer whale. Orcinus orca is also widely called the orca, and it is the only living species in the genus Orcinus. Despite its common name, it belongs to the oceanic dolphin family and is the largest member of that family.

The name “killer whale” reflects historical observations of these animals hunting other whales and large marine mammals. Orcas are apex predators with varied diets: some populations specialize in fish, while others hunt seals, dolphins, sharks, rays, seabirds, or whales. Their black-and-white coloring and white eye patches make them highly recognizable.

Orcas live in every ocean, from polar waters to the tropics. Many populations form stable matrilineal pods, and hunting methods and vocal traditions can be passed between generations. These regional differences are often described as distinct ecotypes, such as fish-eating residents and mammal-eating transients.

“False killer whale” is a different species, Pseudorca crassidens, despite the similar name. “Pilot whale” also refers to separate dolphin species, so neither is a common name for Orcinus orca.