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Lobodon

Lobodon

Published:
Updated: May 13, 2011, 10:25 am
Topics: Biodiversity Marine Ecology
This article has been reviewed by the following Topic Editor: C Michael Hogan

Lobodon is a genus of just one species (a monotypic genus) within the true seal family; the single species member is the Crabeater seal (alternate common name: White Antarctic seal). Together with the families of Eared seals and Walruses, True seals form the group of marine mammals known as pinnipeds.

The Crabeater seal species is one of the most numerous seals in the world. The species name, however, appears to be a misnomer as there is no evidence that it eats crabs; rather it eats krill. For a detailed discussion of this taxon, consult the artice Crabeater seal.

Crabeater seal. Source: Mike Cameron/NOAA Crabeater seal. Source: Mike Cameron/NOAA
Conservation Status

Scientific Classification

Kingdom: Anamalia (Animals)
Phylum:--- Chordata
Class:------ Mammalia (Mammals)
Order:-------- Carnivora (Carnivores)
Family:-------- Phocidae (True Seals)
Genus:--------- Lobodon
Species:--------1 species

 

Further Reading

  1. Lobodon carcinophaga (Hombron and Jacquinot, 1842) Encyclopedia of Life (accessed May 20, 2010)
  2. Lobodon carcinophaga, Batty, K., 2008., Animal Diversity Web (accessed May 20, 2010)
  3. Crabeater seal, Seal Conservation Society (accessed May 20, 2010)
  4. Lobodon carcinophaga IUCN REd List of Threatened Species (accessed May 20, 2010)
  5. The Pinnipeds: Seals, Sea Lions, and Walruses, Marianne Riedman, University of California Press, 1991 ISBN: 0520064984
  6. Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals, Bernd Wursig, Academic Press, 2002 ISBN: 0125513402
  7. Marine Mammal Research: Conservation beyond Crisis, edited by John E. Reynolds III, William F. Perrin, Randall R. Reeves, Suzanne Montgomery and Timothy J. Ragen, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005 ISBN: 0801882559
  8. Walker's Mammals of the World, Ronald M. Nowak, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999 ISBN: 0801857899
  9. Crabeater seal, MarineBio.org (accessed May 20, 2010)

 

Citation

Encyclopedia of Life (Lead Author);Peter Saundry (Contributing Author);C Michael Hogan (Topic Editor) "Lobodon". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth June 30, 2010; Last revised Date May 13, 2011; Retrieved June 19, 2013 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Lobodon>

The Author

Encyclopedia of LifeThe Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) is an ambitious, even audacious project to organize and make available via the Internet virtually all information about life present on Earth. At its heart lies a series of Web sites—one for each of the approximately 1.8 million known species—that provide the entry points to this vast array of knowledge. The entry-point for each site is a species page suitable for the general public, but with several linked pages aimed at more specialized users. The sites spark ... (Full Bio)

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