Otariidae Archives - NatureWorks

Otariidae - Fur Seals, Sea Lions

There are 16 species in this family. They are found along coastlines around North and South America, Northern and Central Asia, and along the southwest coast of Australia.

They have long, fur-covered bodies; external ears; front and rear flippers; and a very short tail. Their front flippers have claws on the end.

The species in this family use their front and rear flippers to walk on land, and they use their front flippers to propel themselves through the water.

Fur seals and sea lions are very social and live in large groups. They eat fish and crustaceans.

In the United States, the species in this family are found along the Pacific Coast.

South American Fur Seal
(Arctocephalus australis)

The South American fur seal is found in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Falkland Islands, Peru, and Uruguay. IUCN Redlist Status: Least Concern
New Zealand Fur Seal
(Arctocephalus forsteri)

The New Zealand fur seal is found in Australia and New Zealand. IUCN Redlist Status: Least Concern
Galápagos Fur Seal
(Arctocephalus galapagoensis)

The Galápagos fur seal is found around Peru's Galápagos Islands. IUCN Redlist Status: Endangered
Antarctic Fur Seal
(Arctocephalus gazella)

The Antarctic fur seal is found in Antarctica, Australia’s Macquarie Island. Bouvet Island, French Southern Territories, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, South Africa, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. IUCN Redlist Status: Least Concern
Afro-Australian Fur Seal
(Arctocephalus pusillus)

The Afro-Australian fur seal is found in Angola, Namibia, and South Africa and off the coasts of South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and New South Wales in Australia. IUCN Redlist Status: Least Concern
Guadalupe Fur Seal
(Arctocephalus townsendi)

The Guadalupe fur seal is found off the coasts of California and Mexico. IUCN Redlist Status: Least Concern
Subantarctic Fur Seal
(Arctocephalus tropicalis)

The subantarctic fur seal is found in water in the southern parts of the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic Oceans. IUCN Redlist Status: Least Concern
Northern Fur Seal
(Callorhinus ursinus)

The northern fur seal is found in the north Pacific Ocean, the Bering Sea, and the Sea of Okhotsk. In the U.S its range includes Alaska and Washington, Oregon, and California. IUCN Redlist Status: Vulnerable
Steller Sea Lion
(Eumetopias jubatus)

The Steller sea lion is found in coastal Alaska, Oregon, Washington, and California. It is also found in coastal British Columbia Canada, Japan, Russia, China. In IUCN Redlist Status: Near Threatened
Australian Sea Lion
(Neophoca cinerea)

The Australian sea lion is found in the coastal waters of South Australia, Western Australia in Australia. IUCN Redlist Status: Endangered
South American Sea Lion
(Otaria byronia)

The South American sea lion is found along the coasts of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, the Falkland Islands, Peru, and Uruguay. IUCN Redlist Status: Least Concern
New Zealand Sea Lion
(Phocarctos hookeri)

The New Zealand sea lion is found along coastal waters of Australia’s Macquarie Island and New Zealand’s South Island. IUCN Redlist Status: Endangered
California Sea Lion
(Zalophus californianus)

The California sea lion is found on the Pacific Coast from Alaska to Mexico. IUCN Redlist Status: Least Concern
Japanese Sea Lion
(Zalophus japonicus)

The Japanese sea lion was once found in the coastal waters of Japan and North and South Korea. It has been extinct since the 1970s. IUCN Redlist Status: Extinct
Galápagos Sea Lion
(Zalophus wollebaeki)

The Galápagos sea lion is found around Ecuador's Galápagos Islands and the coast of mainland Ecuador.. IUCN Redlist Status: Endangered