Why do captive killer whales have their dorsal fin folded?

There is much controversy linked to this issue.animal advocates claim that the dorsal fin bending is due to the unsanitary conditions of captivity and confinement itself, while those working in aquariums claim that it is not incompatible with life or a sign of poor health in killer whales.

In this Animal Expert article we will talk about why orcas in captivity have the dorsal fin folded and if this occurs in the wild.

Physical characteristics of killer whales

With its black and white coloration, killer whales or killer whales are one of the most easily recognizable aquatic mammals.The killer whales are a kind of dolphin with a maximum body length of 9 meters in males and 7.7 meters in females.In addition, increasing sexual dimorphism, males develop fins much larger than females, including pectoral fins, tail and dorsal fin, which can reach 1.8 meters in males .Newborn killer whales weigh approximately 200 kilograms and can measure between 2 and 2.5 meters in length.As a curious fact, a study of killer whales in captivity revealed that females are larger than males until 6 years old.

As we said, one of the most recognizable features of killer whales is their coloration.They are usually black in the dorsal area, and white in the belly.After the eyes, they have spots elliptical shaped benches on the back of the dors fin They have a gray stain called "saddle spot." Newborns have areas that are usually white at adulthood orange and do not have the gray spot behind the dorsal fin during their first year of life.different between different populations of killer whales, especially with regard to eye spots and the gray area of the back.

The denticion of killer whales is somewhat different from that of other odontocetes (suborder of cetaceans to which the killer whales belong.) Their teeth can reach up to 10 centimeters long.When they have their mouths closed, their upper and lower teeth are intercalated, resulting in a jaw wider than the rest of the odontocetes.

The differences that exist between different populations, not only morphologically but ecologically and ethologically, are so diverse that experts believe that the taxonomy of this group should be reviewed.

Orca fins in the wild

According to various studies [1] [2], the fins of the killer whales can have several functions.First, they serve to swim better, be more hydrodynamic and faster during swimming, since they are predatory animals and hunt to get their food.

Likewise, it is speculated that they can also serve as refrigerators, as in the case of elephants' ears.hunting and flight, the body of the killer whale warms up, so that its fins serve to move the water around the body and cool it.

On the other hand, it is part of sexual dimorphism within the species The males have the dorsal fin larger than the females, they also have it straight.The females, on the other hand, have the dorsal fin small and crooked backwards.

Why does the dorsal fin of the killer whales bend?

It is not known for sure why the fins of the orcas in captivity are bent.What is a fact is that they are barely visible in freedom with this characteristic, except sporadic cases or what happened in New Zealand waters, where 23% of the males of a population presented the collapsed dorsal fin.In this study, the state of the fins was attributed to fights by domination, since it occurred next to deep scars on the back of the males.

It is believed that the fact that captive killer whales have the fin folded in this way is due to the lack of deep-sea swimming ( as they would normally do in wild state).Swimming at great depth causes the pressure exerted by the body of water to keep the internal tissues of the fin in good condition, staying upright.

Other potential causes may be dehydration and overheating that It is produced by not being able to swim freely and have to be constantly exposed to the air during training and exhibitions.All this together with a poor diet based on thawed fish.

If you want to read more articles similar to Why do captive killer whales have their dorsal fin folded? ? , we recommend you enter our Curiosities section of the animal world.

References

Par Josiane Cabana. What purpose do fins serve in whales? Whales online.Available at: https://baleinesendirect.org/en/what-purpose-do-fins-serve-in-whales/.Sea Worl d of Hurt. 8 reasons orcas don't belong at seaworld .Available at: https://www.seaworldofhurt.com/features/8-reasons-orcas-dont-belong-seaworld/.

Bibliography

Clark, ST, and Odell, DK2013. Allometric relationships and sexual dimorphism in captive killer whales (Orcinus orca) .Journal of mammalogy, 80 (3): 777-785.
Clark, ST, Odell, DK, and Thadlacina, C.2000. Aspects of growth in captive killer whales (Orcinus orca) .Marine Mammal Science, 16 (1): 110-123.
Ford, JKB2018. Killer Whale: Orcinus orca .Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals (Third Edition), 531-537.
Jett, J., and Ventre, J.2012. Orca (Orcinus orca) captivity and vulnerability to mosquito-transmitted viruses .Journal of Marine Animals and Their Ecology, 5 ( 2): 9-16.
Visser, IN1998. Prolific body scars and collapsing dorsal end are killer whales (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters .Aquatic Mammals.24 ( 2): 71-81.

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