Crabeater Seal
Lobodon carcinophaga
- Class
- Mammal
- Rarity
- Common
- Observations
- 963
- Most observed in
- 🇦🇶 Antarctica
- Conservation
- Least Concern
Description
The crabeater seal (Lobodon carcinophaga), also known as the krill-eater seal, is a true seal with a circumpolar distribution around the coast of Antarctica. They are the only member of the genus Lobodon. They are medium- to large-sized (over 2 m (6.6 ft) in length), relatively slender and pale-colored, found primarily on the free-floating pack ice that extends seasonally out from the Antarctic coast, which they use as a platform for resting, mating, social aggregation and accessing their prey.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article “Crabeater seal”.