Details
Erignathus barbatus
Bearded seal is a mammal associated with polar habitats, coasts and open ocean. It is carnivorous and usually solitary. Decline or fragmentation makes continued monitoring important.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
Its range is represented here by the Arctic Ocean, where it uses polar habitats, coasts and open ocean. Mobile species may shift habitat use with season, breeding sites, or food availability.
Typical length 210-270 cm, weight 200 kg-430 kg. It has a long-bodied carnivore profile, with proportions shaped by its habitat and mode of movement.
It is active in bouts across day and night and usually solitary. Spacing, group size, and visibility can change with season, feeding conditions, and breeding activity.
It is carnivorous. Food choice and foraging style are tied to life in polar habitats, coasts and open ocean, so movements often follow available food resources.
As a mammal, it gives birth to live young, and the mother nurses them in cover or within the social group.
Recorded scientifically as Erignathus barbatus. Decline or fragmentation makes continued monitoring important. In this guide, size, habitat, and activity pattern are useful first clues for recognition.
