General Description
Males have dark grey-brown fur (grey when wet) with a distinct mane of thick hair on the neck. Females have a lighter, white-yellow throat. Young seal pups are black-brown with grey underparts. Ear visible behind each eye. Up to 2.3 m long. Easily confused with the New Zealand Fur Seal.
Biology
Australian Fur Seals change their diet from season to season, eating squid, octopus and fish. They are eaten by Killer Whales, Orcinus orca, and White Sharks, Carcharodon carcharias. They were killed in Victorian waters for their skins until partially protected in 1891 and fully protected in the 1980s. They are vulnerable to oil spills.
Distribution
South-eastern Australia.
Habitat
Coastal and continental shelf waters, up to 180 km offshore.
More Information
-
Animal Type
-
Animal SubType
-
Brief Id
Brown fur, ear behind eye.
-
Maximum Size
2.3 m
-
Habitats
-
Diet
Carnivore
-
Diet Categories
Squid, Octopus, Fish
-
Endemicity
-
Commercial
No
-
Conservation Statuses
CITES: Trade restrictions (Appendix II), FFG Threatened List: Not listed, EPBC Act 1999: Not listed, IUCN Red List: Least Concern
-
Depths
Shore (0-1 m), Shallow (1-30 m), Deep ( > 30 m)
-
Water Column Locations
Surface, Midwater, Above surface
-
Taxon Name
-
Common Name
Australian Fur-seal
-
Other Names
Australo-african Fur-seal , Brown Fur Seal
-
Kingdom
-
Phylum
-
Subphylum
-
Class
-
Order
-
Suborder
-
Family
-
Genus
-
Species Name
pusillus
