seal

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Crabeater seal (Lobodon carcinophagus).

Gray seal (Halichoerus grypus).

A glimpse into the lives of common seals

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Watch as a southern elephant seal pup is startled on the Argentinian coast and hear its snarl

For Students

Crabeater seal (Lobodon carcinophagus).

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Head of brown fur seal, Namibia. Cape fur seals, eared seals.

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Classification

inseal

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Article History

Related Topics:: pinniped; eared seal; earless seal; sealing

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Seals
32 species belonging to 17 genera in 2 families. Together with walruses, seals and sea lions are classified as pinnipeds (suborder Pinnipedia).
- Family Phocidae (true, or earless, seals)
  18 species in 10 genera.
  - Genus Phoca (common seals)
    7 species of the Northern Hemisphere: the Baikal seal, Caspian seal, harbour seal, harp seal, ribbon seal, ringed seal, and spotted seal.
  - Genus Monachus (monk seals)
    2 species of the Mediterranean Sea and Hawaii. A third, the Caribbean monk seal, became extinct in the latter half of the 20th century.
  - Genus Mirounga (elephant seals)
    2 coastal species, one from the Southern Hemisphere, one from the Baja California Peninsula to southeastern Alaska.
  - Genus Cystophora (hooded seal)
    1 North Atlantic Ocean and Arctic species.
  - Genus Erignathus (bearded seal)
    1 Arctic species.
  - Genus Halichoerus (gray seal)
    1 North Atlantic Ocean species.
  - Genus Hydrurga (leopard seal)
    1 Antarctic species.
  - Genus Leptonychotes (Weddell seal)
    1 Antarctic species.
  - Genus Lobodon (crabeater seal)
    1 Antarctic species.
  - Genus Ommatophoca (Ross seal)
    1 Antarctic species.
- Family Otariidae (eared seals)
  14 species of sea lions and fur seals in 7 genera.
  - Genus Arctocephalus (southern fur seals)
    8 species, primarily of the Southern Hemisphere.
  - Genus Callorhinus (northern fur seal)
    1 species of the North Pacific Ocean.
  - Genus Eumetopias (Steller sea lion)
    1 species of the North Pacific Ocean.
  - Genus Neophoca (Australian sea lion)
    1 species of Australia.
  - Genus Otaria (South American sea lion)
    1 species primarily of western South America.
  - Genus Phocarctos (New Zealand sea lion)
    1 species of New Zealand.
  - Genus Zalophus (California sea lion)
    1 species of the North Pacific Ocean.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Adam Augustyn.