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A leopard seal is a large marine mammal found in Antarctic waters that hunts fish, squid, and other seals for food. It matters because it plays an important role as a top predator in Antarctic ecosystems and is of scientific interest for understanding polar marine life.
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Wikidata facts
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- taxon
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- Hydrurga leptonyx edit1.jpg
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- P105
- species
- P141
- Least Concern
- P9714
- Brazil
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Article
The leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx), also referred to as the sea leopard, is the second largest species of seal in the Antarctic (after the southern elephant seal). It is a top order predator, feeding on a wide range of prey including cephalopods, other pinnipeds, krill, fish, and birds, particularly penguins. Its only natural predator is the orca. It is the only species in the genus Hydrurga. Its closest relatives are the Ross seal, the crabeater seal, and the Weddell seal, which are all Antarctic seals of the tribe Lobodontini.
Research history and taxonomy
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Extant Zanclean first appearancesFauna of Heard Island and McDonald IslandsIUCN Red List least concern speciesLeast concern biota of OceaniaLeast concern biota of South AmericaLobodontiniMammals described in 1820Mammals of ChileMammals of South AustraliaPinnipeds of AntarcticaPinnipeds of AustraliaPinnipeds of South America