Abstract
Eared seals, or the Otariidae, belong to one of three pinniped groupings (the other two being the phocids (true seals) and the odobenids (walrus). They comprise 16 extant species within seven genera and are commonly known either as sea lions (6 species) or fur seals (10 species). Otariids have semiaquatic lifestyles, feeding and migrating in the sea, but breeding and resting on land. They reside in subpolar, temperate, and equatorial waters throughout the Pacific and Southern Oceans, but are absent from the North Atlantic. Four of the six sea lion species are listed as threatened by IUCN, while only 2 of the 10 fur seal species are at risk. All otariids species have experienced extreme overharvesting that in some cases lead to their near extinction. However, today the biggest human threat for many of the eared seals is interactions with fisheries resulting in entanglement and drowning.
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