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The Antarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus gazella) is one of eight seals in the genus Arctocephalus, and one of nine fur seals in the subfamily Arctocephalinae.Despite what its name suggests, the Antarctic fur seal is mostly distributed in Subantarctic islands [3] and its scientific name is thought to have come from the German vessel SMS Gazelle, which was the first to collect specimens of this ...
Leptonychotes weddelli Weddell seal; Lobodon carcinophagus Crabeater seal; Ommatophoca rossi Ross seal; Arctocephalus sp. Southern fur seals; At the time of creation, all fur seals in the Antarctic area where in the genus Arctocephalus, however since then many species formerly in that genus have been reclassified under Arctophoca with only A ...
The subantarctic fur seal is medium in size compared with other fur seals. The two sexes are strongly sexually dimorphic: males grow to 2 m and 160 kg, whereas females are substantially smaller—1.4 m and 50 kg. Subantarctic fur seals have creamy-orange chests and faces. Their bellies are more brownish.
Antarctic fur seals and southern elephant seals, in contrast, while doing much of their feeding at the edge of the continent, breed on subantarctic islands, such as South Georgia. Warmblooded prey makes up a significant proportion of the leopard seal 's diet, and is occasionally taken by Antarctic fur seals.
Leopard seals are also known to take fur seal pups. [36] Around the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia, the Antarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus gazella) is the main prey. Antarctic krill, southern elephant seal pups and petrels such as the diving petrel and the cape petrel have also been taken as prey. [37]
Fur seals are any of nine species of pinnipeds belonging to the subfamily Arctocephalinae in the family Otariidae.They are much more closely related to sea lions than true seals, and share with them external ears (), relatively long and muscular foreflippers, and the ability to walk on all fours.
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The Antarctic fur seal was very heavily hunted in the 18th and 19th centuries for its pelt by seal hunters from the United States and the United Kingdom. [117] Leopard seals are apex predators in the Antarctic ecosystem and migrate across the Southern Ocean in search of food. [118]