Bearded Seal: Erignathus barbatus (Erxleben, 1777)
Bearded Seal: A large, bottom-feeding, circumpolar ice seal
Size
- Males average 2.1m (7 ft), 230kg (500 lbs)
- Females average 2.3m (7.5 feet), 250kg (550) lbs; up to 790 lbs (360kg)
Color & Characteristics
- Dark gray/tan, without distinct pattern or spots
- Often reddish head and neck (head seems small for body)
- Square front flippers
- Dense thick whiskers on upper lip and cheek
Habitat
- Circumpolar arctic and subarctic, on continental shelf and in coastal waters
- Associated mostly with pack ice, sometimes fast ice
Feeding
- Feeds mostly at/near the seafloor, also in water column
- Prey include fishes, crabs, shrimps, clams
Life cycle
- Size at birth 1.2m (4 ft)
- Sexual maturity at 5-7 years
- Females have pups every year
- Short (12-18 day) nursing period
- Longevity about 30 years
Behavior
- Mostly solitary
- Swims with head and upper back above water
- Rests on edge of ice floes with head down to escape quickly
- Very vocal underwater during breeding season
Page Author: Lloyd Lowry & Bodil Bluhm
Created: Aug 24, 2008
