(Otariidae)
Class Mammalia Order Carnivora Suborder Pinnipedia Family Otariidae
Medium- to large-sized pinnipeds that have large front flippers for underwater propulsion, a doglike head, and the ability to walk or run on all fours on land
Size
Males range from 154 lb (70 kg) (Galápagos fur seal) to 2,469 lb (1,120 kg) (Steller sea lion); females range from 77 lb (35 kg) (Galápagos fur seal) to 772 lb (350 kg) (Steller sea lion); neonates range from 11 to 51 lb (5-23 kg)
Number of genera, species
7 genera; 15 species
Habitat
Feed in coastal or deep ocean areas, and they breed on sandy and rocky substrate, mostly on islands
Conservation status
Endangered: 1 species; Vulnerable: 5 species
Distribution
Bering Sea, north and south Pacific Oceans, south Atlantic Ocean, southern Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean; they occupy subpolar, temperate, and equatorial waters
Bering Sea, north and south Pacific Oceans, south Atlantic Ocean, southern Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean; they occupy subpolar, temperate, and equatorial waters
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