Sea lion
subfamily of marine mammals
Sea lions are several pinnipeds from the family Otariidae (eared seals). They live all around the world, except in the Atlantic Ocean.
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| A sea lion in Monterey, California | |
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Male sea lions have thick fur around the face and neck, which sometimes looks like a lion's mane. That's how they got the name "sea lion". Some, like the Steller sea lion, can actually roar! Of course, these pinnipeds are not really lions at all, but they are mammals. Like lions, they have fur, breathe air, give birth to live young, and feed milk to their young. They also eat meat, though sea lions eat the meat of fishes, squids, and sea birds instead of land animals. Sea lions are also fierce fighters, just like lions.
Species
changeThe pinniped species called "sea lion" are: [1]
- Steller sea lion or northern sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus)
- Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea)
- South American sea lion or southern sea ion (Otaria flavescens)
- New Zealand sea lion (Phocarctos hookeri)
- California sea lion (Zalophus californianus)
References
change- ↑ Wynen L.P. et al 2001. Phylogenetic relationships within the eared seals (Otariidae: Carnivora): implications for the historical biogeography of the family. Mol. Phylog. Evol. 21 (2): 270–284. doi:10.1006/mpev.2001.1012. PMID 11697921.