General Description
Dark grey fur (grey-black when wet). Pointed nose with long whiskers. Ear visible behind each eye. Up to 2.3 m long.
Biology
New Zealand Fur Seals change their diet from season to season, eating squid, octopus and fish. Killer Whales and White Sharks are their main predators. They live for about 15 years. Humans interactions include: Intensive commercial fishing is threatening the diet of this species. Some individuals may also become tangled in fishing nets.
Distribution
New Zealand and southern Australia.
Habitat
Coastal and continental shelf waters.
More Information
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Animal Type
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Animal SubType
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Brief Id
Dark grey fur, pointed nose, long whiskers, ear behind eye.
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Colours
Grey-brown
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Maximum Size
2.3 m
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Habitats
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Diet
Carnivore
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Endemicity
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Commercial
No
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Conservation Statuses
CITES: Trade restrictions (Appendix II), DSE Advisory List: Vulnerable, EPBC Act 1999: Not listed, IUCN Red List: Least Concern, FFG Threatened List: Not listed
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Depths
Shore (0-1 m), Shallow (1-30 m), Deep ( > 30 m)
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Water Column Locations
Surface, Midwater
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Taxon Name
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Common Name
Australasian Fur Seal
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Other Names
New Zealand Fur-seal
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Kingdom
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Phylum
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Subphylum
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Class
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Order
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Suborder
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Family
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Genus
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Species Name
forsteri
