General Description
Dark grey fur (grey-black when wet). Pointed nose with long whiskers. Ear visible behind each eye. Up to 2.3 m long.
Biology
New Zealand Fur Seals change their diet from season to season, eating squid, octopus and fish. Killer Whales and White Sharks are their main predators. They live for about 15 years.
Humans interactions include:
Intensive commercial fishing is threatening the diet of this species. Some individuals may also become tangled in fishing nets.
Habitat
Coastal and continental shelf waters.
Open water
Distribution guide
New Zealand and southern Australia.
Species Group
Depth
Shore (0-1 m)
Shallow (1-30 m)
Deep ( > 30 m)
Water Column
Max Size
2.3 m
Diet
Carnivore
Commercial Species
No
Global Dispersal
Recorded in Australia
Conservation Status
- CITES : Trade restrictions (Appendix II)
- DSE Advisory List : Vulnerable
- EPBC Act 1999 : Not listed
- IUCN Red List : Least Concern
Author
Dr. Erich Fitzgerald is a Senior Curator of palaeontology at Museum Victoria.
Author
Dr. Ryan Jefferies is a volunteer online editor at Museum Victoria.
Cite this page as:
Fitzgerald, E. & Jefferies, R., 2011, New Zealand Fur-seal, Arctocephalus forsteri, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 28 Sep 2024, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/3851
