Details
Zalophus californianus
The California sea lion is an agile social marine mammal of the Pacific coast. It rests on rocks and docks, then hunts fish and squid at sea.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
It occurs along Pacific and Nearctic coasts, islands, beaches, and offshore feeding areas. Breeding requires accessible rookeries on sand or rock.
Length 150-240 cm; weight 100-390 kg. A streamlined body, external ear flaps, and long foreflippers are typical. Males are larger, with a raised forehead; the coat is brown.
Diurnal and colonial, it is noisy and crowded on land. In water it uses the foreflippers for fast, maneuverable swimming.
A carnivore, it eats fishes, squid, and octopus. Animals may gather at feeding sites, though prey is usually pursued individually.
During breeding, males defend territories on rookeries, and females give birth ashore. Mothers and pups recognize each other by voice and scent.
It is listed as Least Concern. Entanglement in fishing gear, marine debris, and shifts in prey can still affect local animals.
