Antarctic fur seal

E73755

The Antarctic fur seal is a marine mammal of the Southern Ocean known for its dense fur, large breeding colonies, and recovery from historic overhunting.

Jump to: Surface forms Statements Referenced by

Observed surface forms (2)

Surface form Occurrences
Arctocephalus gazella 1
Kerguelen fur seal 1

Statements (79)

Predicate Object
instanceOf fur seal
marine mammal
species of mammal
ageAtSexualMaturity females 3 to 4 years
males 5 to 7 years
ageAtWeaning about 4 months
averageFemaleLength 1.2 meters to 1.4 meters
averageFemaleWeight 30 kilograms to 55 kilograms
averageMaleLength 1.8 meters to 2.0 meters
averageMaleWeight 90 kilograms to 210 kilograms
binomialName Antarctic fur seal self-linksurface differs
surface form: Arctocephalus gazella
breedingSeason austral summer
breedingSystem harem breeding
breedsOn Bouvet Island
Crozet Islands
Heard Island and McDonald Islands
surface form: Heard Island

Kerguelen Islands
Macquarie Island
Prince Edward Islands
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
surface form: South Georgia

South Orkney Islands
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
surface form: South Sandwich Islands

South Shetland Islands
class Mammalia
coatCharacteristic dense underfur
coatColor dark brown to gray in adults
commonName Antarctic fur seal
Antarctic fur seal self-linksurface differs
surface form: Kerguelen fur seal
describedBy Peter J. Peters
describedInYear 1875
diet fish
krill
squid
divingBehavior dives to feed on krill and fish
ecologicalRole major consumer of Antarctic krill
family Otariidae
foragingHabitat pelagic zone
genus Arctocephalus
gestationPeriod about 11.5 months including delayed implantation
habitat rocky beaches
subantarctic islands
hasLanguageCode en
historicThreat commercial sealing
overhunting for fur
IUCNConservationStatus Least Concern
kingdom Animalia
legalProtection protected under international agreements in the Southern Ocean
litterSize usually one pup
maximumLifespan about 20 to 25 years in the wild
movementPattern migratory
nativeTo Antarctic Peninsula
Bouvet Island
Crozet Islands
Heard Island and McDonald Islands
surface form: Heard Island

Kerguelen Islands
Macquarie Island
Prince Edward Islands
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
surface form: South Georgia

South Orkney Islands
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
surface form: South Sandwich Islands

South Shetland Islands
Southern Ocean
nearExtinction early 20th century
order Carnivora
phylum Chordata
populationRecovery significant recovery after protection
populationTrend increasing
predator killer whale
leopard seal
primaryPrey Antarctic krill
pupColor black at birth
reproductiveBehavior polygynous
sexualDimorphism males larger than females
socialStructure large breeding colonies
suborder Caniformia
swimmingAbility strong swimmer
taxonRank species
threat changes in sea ice and krill availability
climate change

Referenced by (4)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Antarctic fur seal binomialName Antarctic fur seal self-linksurface differs
this entity surface form: Arctocephalus gazella
Antarctic fur seal commonName Antarctic fur seal self-linksurface differs
this entity surface form: Kerguelen fur seal