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J Madsen   cc-by-nc

Phocidae (Earless Seals) is a family of mammals. They rely on lift powered swimming to move around.

  • URI: https://eol.org/schema/terms/lift_based_swimming
  • Definition: Hydrofoils, or fins, are used to push against the water to create a normal force to provide thrust, propelling the animal through water. The reduction of fin cross-sectional area helps to minimize drag, and therefore increase efficiency. Regardless of size of the animal, at any particular speed, maximum possible lift is proportional to (wing area) x (speed)<sup>2</sup>. Dolphins and whales have large, horizontal caudal hydrofoils, while many fish and sharks have vertical caudal hydrofoils.
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EOL has data for 30 attributes, including:

Known occurrences, collected specimens and observations of earless seals. View this species on GBIF
J Madsen   cc-by-nc

Earless Seal Habitats

The environments in which many earless seals species are known to live. Select an environment to see its earless seals species checklist.