Earless Seals

Point Lobos, California

Point Lobos, California

Point Lobos, California

Point Lobos, California

Subject: Live Animal | Type: Photo | Life Stages And Gender: Adult/Sexually Mature | Anatomy: Coloration/Patterning :: Disruptive Coloration (Spots/Stripes)

Point Lobos, California

Point Lobos, California

Ringed Seal. Phoca foetia, Fabricius

Gray Seal. Halichoerus grypus (Fabricius), Milss

Square Flipper Seal. Erignathus barbatus (Fabricius), Gill

Phoca barbata sur le pont de la Princesse-Alice.

Ribbon Seal. (Male and Femals). Histriophoca fasciata (Zimmerman), Gill

Hair-Seal. (Phoca vitulina; male, female, and young)

Figure 5.Lateral views of crania of a Monachus monachus b Neomonachus schauinslandi, and c Neomonachus tropicalis. Arrows indicate the more developed occipital crest and zygomatic arches, and deeper snout of Monachus compared to Neomonachus species.

Crested or Hooded Seal.

Jeune Phoca putrida vivant a bord de la Princesse-Alice.

Ringed Seal (Phoca foetida). [The common Hair-Seal of the Arctic Ocean]

Figure 6.Ventral views of palates of a Monachus monachus b Neomonachus schauinslandi, and c Neomonachus tropicalis. The tooth row of Monachus is more crowded, likely as a result of the shorter rostrum, and this results in a more obliquely oriented set of post-canine teeth and the lack of a diastema between the upper canine and the first premolar. In Neomonachus, there is a distinct diastema between C1 and P1, and the post-canine teeth are arranged more linearly. The upper incisor arcade of Monachus is slightly parabolic due to the posterior placement of the lateral incisors, and the anterior premaxilla appears slightly curved. In Neomonachus, the incisor arcade is linear and the anterior premaxilla is straight.

Hooded Seal. (Adult and Young). Cystophora cristata (Erxl.), Nilas

Harp Seals.

Figure 7.Dorsal view of rostra of a Monachus monachus b Neomonachus schauinslandi, and c Neomonachus tropicalis. Monachus exhibits a well-developed antorbital process on the maxilla, immediately inferior to the fronto-maxillary suture. The process is reduced or absent in Neomonachus. The nasals of Monachus are short and triangular, tapering smoothly posteriorly to produce a point at their union. The nasals of Neomonachus are longer and do not taper smoothly.

Hood Seals.

Harp Seal.

Figure 8.Ventral views of crania of a Monachus monachus b Neomonachus schauinslandi, and c Neomonachus tropicalis, showing the pterygoid region. Neomonachus exhibits a well-developed, laterally flared pterygoid hamulus that is visible in dorsal view. The hamulus may be spatulate (Neomonachus schauinslandi) or hook-like (Neomonachus tropicalis). The hamular process is absent or medially flared in Monachus, and is not visible in dorsal view.