One of the 7 fur seals on WAnimals
Mammals · Carnivora · Otariidae
Afro-Australian Fur Seal
Arctocephalus pusillus
Least Concern
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk.
The Afro-Australian fur seal is the largest fur seal in the world, with males exceeding 300 kilos. The species has two widely separated subspecies: one in the Bass Strait, between Australia and Tasmania, and another on the coasts of South Africa and Namibia, where it is known as the Cape fur seal. Both breed in extremely dense colonies on rocky islets and dive in search of fish, squid and octopus. It is an important prey item of the great white shark.
Weight
50 kg – 360 kg
Size
1.4 m – 2.3 m
Life expectancy
20 years
