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Bearded seal
Erignathus barbatus
This Arctic seal gets its name from the white whiskers on its face.
Statistics
Both sexes are about the same size. Body length is 2.25-2.7m. They weigh 275-340kg.
Physical Description
Erignathus refers to the seal's heavy jaw. Barbatus refers to its characteristic conspicuous and abundant whiskers. The whiskers are smooth and curl elegantly when dry.
Adults are greyish-brown with darker sometimes faintly spotted backs and dark spots on the flanks. Occasionally the face and neck are reddish-brown. Pups are born with a greyish-brown natal fur with scattered patches of white on the back and head.
They are unique among true seals in having two pairs of nipples. They are also characterised by having square front flippers.
Distribution
Their distribution is circumpolar, throughout the American, European and Asiatic Arctic regions. It is found in the sea of Okhotsk and occasionally as far south as Hokkaido.
Habitat
They inhabit coastal regions, including rocky shore and ice floes. They prefer shallow waters.
Diet
Bearded seals are mostly benthic feeders, finding food on or near the bottom of shallow seas. The majority of the diet consists of invertebrates such as molluscs, crustaceans and worms, but flounder, Arctic cod and octopus are also taken.
They overlap with walrus in their feeding habits using suction to extract molluscs from their shells. Like the walrus, the bearded seal usually has extremely worn cheek teeth.
Behaviour
Bearded seals spend the winter mostly in heavy offshore ice. Males produce a distinct underwater song, which may be part of a territory defence system beneath the pack ice.
Males are probably polygamous, mating with as many females as they have access to, but the social structure of these seals is not well known.
Outside the breeding season bearded seals are solitary, though occasionally several animals will haul out around the perimeter of a large floe, each well spaced from its neighbour, and each facing a different direction.
Reproduction
From mid-March to late April females give birth to their young on pack ice. Lactation lasts from 12-18 days. The pups enter the water soon after birth, a habit which helps to protect them from polar bear predation.
Pups are born 87-120cm long and weigh 25-43kg.
Conservation status
The population of bearded seals is estimated to be between 600,000 and one million individuals. There is some aboriginal hunting, but there seems to be no risk of over-exploitation.
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