Fur seal: Difference between revisions

{{Hatnote|'Fur seal' is a common name that does not correspond to a single taxonomic unit. For a more comprehensive discussion of all eared seals, including the [[sea lion]]s, see [[Otariid]].}}

| image = Arctocephalus Pusillus Pusillus.jpg

| image_caption = A group of [[brown fur seal]]s (''Arctocephalus pusillus'')

Fur seals and sea lions make up the family Otariidae.  Along with the [[Phocidae]] and [[Odobenidae]], ottariids are pinnipeds descending from a common ancestor most closely related to modern bears (as hinted by the subfamily Arctocephalinae, meaning "bear-headed"). The name pinniped refers to mammals with front and rear flippers. Otariids arose about 15-17 million years ago in the Miocene, and were originally land mammals that rapidly diversified and adapted to a marine environment, giving rise to the semiaquatic marine mammals that thrive today. Fur seals and sea lions are closely related and commonly known together as the "eared seals".   

Until recently, fur seals were all grouped under a single subfamily of Pinnipedia, called the Arctocephalinae, to contrast them with Otariinae – the sea lions – based on the most prominent common feature, namely the coat of dense underfur intermixed with guard hairs.  Recent genetic evidence, however, suggests ''Callorhinus'' is more closely related to some sea lion species, and the fur seal/sea lion subfamily distinction has been eliminated from many [[Taxonomy (biology)|taxonomies]].  Nonetheless, all fur seals have certain features in common: the fur, generally smaller sizes, farther and longer foraging trips, smaller and more abundant prey items, and greater [[sexual dimorphism]].  For these reasons, the distinction remains useful. Fur seals comprise two genera: ''Callorhinus'', and ''Arctocephalus''. ''Callorhinus'' is represented by just one species in the Northern Hemisphere, the northern fur seal (''Callorhinus ursinus''), and ''Arctocephalus'' is represented by eight species in the Southern Hemisphere.  The southern fur seals comprising the genus ''Arctocephalus'' include Antarctic fur seals, Galapagos fur seals, Juan Fernandez fur seals, New Zealand fur seals, brown fur seals, South American fur seals, and subantarctic fur seals.

* [[Brown fur seal]], ''A. pusillus''

Of the fur seal family, eight species are considered southern fur seals, and only one is found in the Northern Hemisphere.  The southern group includes Antarctic, Galapagos, Guadalupe, Juan Fernandez, New Zealand, brown, South American, and subantarctic fur seals.  They typically spend about 70% of their lives in subpolar, temperate, and equatorial waters.  Colonies of fur seals can be seen throughout the Pacific and Southern Oceans from south Australia, Africa, and New Zealand, to the coast of Peru and north to California. They are typically nonmigrating mammals, with the exception of the northern fur seal, which has been known to travel distances up to 10,000 km. Fur seals are often found near isolated islands or peninsulas, and can be seen hauling out onto the mainland during winter. Although they are not migratory, they have been observed wandering hundreds of miles from their breeding grounds in times of scarce resources. For example, the subantarctic fur seal typically resides near temperate islands in the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans north of the Antarctic Polar Front, but juvenile males have been seen wandering as far north as Brazil and South Africa.

Many species were heavily exploited by commercial [[seal hunting|sealer]]s, especially during the 19th century, when their fur was highly valued. Beginning in the 1790s, the ports of [[Stonington, Connecticut|Stonington]] and [[New Haven]], Connecticut, were leaders of the American fur seal trade, which primarily entailed clubbing fur seals to death on uninhabited South Pacific islands, skinning them, and selling the hides in [[China]].<ref name=muir>Muir, Diana, "[[Reflections in Bullough's Pond]]", University Press of New England, 2000, pp. 80ff {{ISBN|0-87451-909-8}}.</ref> Many populations, notably the Guadalupe fur seal, northern fur seal, and Cape fur seal, suffered dramatic declines and are still recovering.  Currently, most species are protected, and hunting is mostly limited to subsistence harvest. Globally, most populations can be considered healthy, mostly because they often prefer remote habitats that are relatively inaccessible to humans. Nonetheless, [[environmental degradation]], competition with [[fisheries]], and [[climate change]] potentially pose threats to some populations.

[[Category:Eared seals| Fur seal]]

[[Category:Arctocephalinae|*]]