Hooded Seal: Cystophora cristata (Erxleben, 1777)
Hooded Seal: A large Atlantic-Arctic seal with a ‘balloon’ on the face of the males
Size
- Males upto 3m (10 ft), 400kg (880 lbs)
- Females upto 2.4m (~8 feet), 300 kg (660 lbs)
Color & Characteristics
- Silver gray with larger irregular black blotches
- Dark on face and top of foreflippers
- Males have large inflatable nose (hood) and extrudable membrane in nostril
Habitat
- Central and western North Atlantic-Arctic
- Associated with edge of pack ice
Feeding
- Squid and fish (cod, redfish, halibut)
- Deep long feeding dives
Life cycle
- Size at birth 0.9-1m (3-3.3 ft), 11kg (25 lbs)
- Sexual maturity at 5-7 years
- Females have pups every year
- Short (4 day) nursing period on extremely fat milk
- Longevity about 35 year
Behavior
- Solitary except when breeding and molting
- Vocal on ice
Page Author: Bodil Bluhm
Created: Aug 24, 2008