Mammalia |
Carnivora |
Otariidae
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Bathydemersal. Subtropical; 45°N - 13°N, 140°W - 180°E
Eastern Central Pacific: USA and Mexico.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm Max length : 190 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 1394); 140 cm TL (female); max. published weight: 170.0 kg (Ref. 1394); max. published weight: 170.0 kg
Dusky black with lighter ventrum. Gray head and shoulders, black nose with brown-red hair around the eyes. Guard hairs are white-tipped in adult males. Claws present in 5 fingers and absent on the 1st and 5th toes. Cartilaginous webbing extends past the claws. Females have 2 pairs abdominal nipples.
Found at sea, on beaches; when ashore, they prefer volcanic caves and grottos, or other rocky habitats. Found at sea, on beaches; when ashore, they prefer volcanic caves and grottos, or other rocky habitats. Both male and female territorial. Extralimital sightings in California corresponds with El Niño events (Ref. 1394).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Breeds near or in caves marked by the male as his territory. Mating occurs postpartum. Pups nurse for 9 to 11 months during which nursing females fast for an average of 5 days.
Jefferson, T.A., S. Leatherwood and M.A. Webber. 1993. (Ref. 1394)
IUCN Red List Status
(Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)
CITES status (Ref. 108899)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial
FAO - Fisheries: species profile | FishSource | Sea Around Us
Tools
More information
Population dynamicsGrowthMax. ages / sizesLength-weight rel.Length-length rel.Length-frequenciesMass conversionRecruitmentAbundance Life cycleReproductionMaturityFecunditySpawningEggsEgg developmentLarvaeLarval dynamics Human RelatedAquaculture profiles
Stamps, coins, misc.
Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature
(Ref.
115969): 2.1 - 4, mean 3.1 (based on 48 cells).
Vulnerability
Very high vulnerability (90 of 100).
Price category
Unknown.