NOTES ON THE MARION ISLAND FUR SEAL

• Published in: Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London
• Main Author: RAND, R. W.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1956
• Subjects: Arctocephalus gazella; Marion Island; Southern Fur Seal
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1956.tb00425.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1096-3642.1956.tb00425.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1956.tb00425.x; https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1956.tb00425.x

SUMMARY Fur seals on Marion Island, provisionally identified as Arctocephalus gazella Peters, are described and compared with two other species of southern fur seal. There are a few hundred fur seals on Marion Island, of which about 160 to 170 are breeding males. The fur seals live on crustaceans, cephalopods and fish. Females breed in the summer (November) but are not visibly pregnant till April. Pups moult in March, and the older animals somewhat earlier. Former sealing operations are discussed. There appear to be no good prospects for profitable future operations. The small size of the herd has not been adequately explained.