Species of seals

Every type of animal and plant on earth is called a species. Each species is given a special scientific name. The scientific name given to the Australian Fur Seal is Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus.

34 species of seals live in different parts of the world. (see list below)

Three species of seals breed in Australia; the Australian Fur Seal, Australian Sea Lion and the New Zealand Fur Seal.

Eight other species are sometimes found in Australian waters. (see list below)

Leopard Seal
Elephant Seal
Fur Seal
Baikal Seal
Sea Lion
Grey Seal
Arctocephalus forsteri*

Arctocephalus pusillus*

Neophoca cinerea*

Arctocephalus tropicalis

Arctocephalus gazella

Mirounga leonina

Lobodon carcinophagus

Leptonychotes weddellii

Hydrurga leptontx

Ommatophoca rossii

*breed in Australia

New Zealand Fur Seal

Cape/Australian Fur Seal

Australian Sea Lion

Subantarctic Fur Seal

Antarctic Fur Seal

Southern Elephant Seal

Crabeater Seal

Weddell Seal

Leopard Seal

Ross Seal

Pinniped species found in Australian waters
Odobenus rosmarus
Walrus

List of the 34 seal species found Worldwide:
Special Name
Common Name
Odobenidae Walruses
Otariidae Sea Lions and Fur Seals
Phocidae True Seals

Callorhinus ursinus

Arctocephalus townsendi

Arctocephalus philippii

Arctocephalus galapagoensis

Arctocephalus australis

Arctocephalus tropicalis

Arctocephalus gazella

Arctocephalus forsteri

Arctocephalus pusillus

Zalophus californianus

Phocarctos hookeri

Neophoca cinerea

Otaria byronia

Eumetopias jubatus

Monachus schauinslandi

Monachus tropicalis †

Monachus monachus

Mirounga angustirostris

Mirounga leonina

Lobodon carcinophagus

Leptonychotes weddellii

Hydrurga leptonyx

Ommatophoca rossii

Erignathus barbatus

Cystophora cristata

Histriophoca fasciata

Pagophilus groenlandicus

Phoca largha

Phoca vitulina

Pusa hispida

Pusa sibirica

Pusa caspica

Halichoerus grypus

† possibly extinct

Northern Fur Seal

Guadalupe Fur Seal

Juan Fernandez Fur Seal

Galapagos Fur Seal

South American Fur Seal

Subantarctic Fur Seal

Antarctic Fur Seal

New Zealand Fur Seal

Cape/Australian Fur Seal

Californian/Japanese/Galapagos Sea Lion

New Zealand Sea Lion

Australian Sea Lion

Southern Sea Lion

Steller Sea Lion

Hawaiian Monk Seal

Caribbean Monk Seal

Mediterranean Monk Seal

Northern Elephant Seal

Southern Elephant Seal

Crabeater Seal

Weddell Seal

Leopard Seal

Ross Seal

Bearded Seal

Hooded Seal

Ribbon Seal

Harp Seal

Largha Seal

Harbor Seal

Ringed Seal

Baikal Seal

Caspian Seal

Grey Seal

Map shows the distribution of the three species of seals that breed in Australia