Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand abstracts

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(c) Journal of The Royal Society of New Zealand,

Volume 31, Number 1, March 2001, pp 135-160

Advances in New Zealand mammalogy 1990-2000: Pinnipeds

R. G. Harcourt*

* Marine Mammal Research Group, Graduate School of the Environment, Macquarie University, Sydney 2109, Australia

Both morphological and molecular studies now suggest that the affinities of the pinnipeds lie within the suborder Caniformia, within the order Carnivora (Rice 1998).

FAMILY OTARIIDAE

The New Zealand fur seal (Arctocephalus forsteri) is the only fur seal which can be called a permanent resident of the New Zealand mainland. It also breeds on Macquarie Is.: about 1200 A. forsteri may be seen there in late February early March, alongside two related species, the subantarctic fur seal (A. tropicalis) and the Antarctic fur seal (A. gazella (Goldsworthy et al. 1999). A few A. tropicalis are occasionally seen on the New Zealand mainland (Taylor 1990; C. Bradshaw pers.comm.; pers.obs).

19. NEW ZEALAND FUR SEAL

ARCTOCEPHALUS FORSTERI (LESSON, 1828)

20. NEW ZEALAND SEA LION

PHOCARCTOS HOOKERI (GRAY, 1844)

FAMILY PHOCIDAE

Two subfamilies of phocids, the Phocinae and Monachinae, are recognized by most authorities on the basis of recent cladistic analyses (Rice 1998). The Monachinae has eight extant species (the Caribbean monk seal Monachus tropicalis is recently extinct, last reliable report dating back to 1952), comprising the monk seals (two extant species), the elephant seals (two species) and the Antarctic seals (4 species). All five New Zealand phocids belong to the Monachinae (Rice 1998).

21. SOUTHERN ELEPHANT SEAL

MIROUNGA LEONINA (LINNAEUS, 1758)

22. WEDDELL SEAL

LEPTONYCHOTES WEDDELLII (LESSON, 1826)

23. LEOPARD SEAL

HYDRURGA LEPTONYX (BLAINVILLE, 1820)

24. CRABEATER SEAL

LOBODON CARCINOPHAGUS (HOMRON & JACQUINOT, 1842)

25. ROSS SEAL

OMMATOPHOCA ROSSI GRAY, 1844

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