Mammalia | 
Carnivora | 
Otariidae
			
			
			
				Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range				
				
					Ecology				
				
			
			
				Bathydemersal.  Subtropical; 45°N -   13°N, 140°W -   180°E			
			
			
				
			
			
			
				Eastern Central Pacific:  USA and Mexico.
			
			
			
			
			
				Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
			
			
				Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm Max length : 190 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 1394); 140 cm TL (female); max. published weight: 170.0 kg (Ref. 1394); max. published weight: 170.0 kg			
			
			
							
				
				
					
						Dusky black with lighter ventrum.  Gray head and shoulders, black nose with brown-red hair around the eyes.  Guard hairs are white-tipped in adult males.  Claws present in 5 fingers and absent on the 1st and 5th toes.  Cartilaginous webbing extends past the claws.  Females have 2 pairs abdominal nipples.					
				
				
						
			
			
			
			
				
					Found at sea, on beaches; when ashore, they prefer volcanic caves and grottos, or other rocky habitats. Found at sea, on beaches; when ashore, they prefer volcanic caves and grottos, or other rocky habitats.  Both male and female territorial.  Extralimital sightings in California corresponds with El Niño events (Ref. 1394).				
			
			
			
			
			
				Life cycle and mating behavior				
					Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae				
			
			
				
					Breeds near or in caves marked by the male as his territory.  Mating occurs postpartum.  Pups nurse for 9 to 11 months during which nursing females fast for an average of 5 days.				
			
			
			
			
			
				Jefferson, T.A., S. Leatherwood and M.A. Webber 1993 FAO species Identification Guide: Marine Mammals of the World. Rome, FAO. 320 p. + 587 figures. (Ref. 1394)
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
					
						IUCN Red List Status    
						 (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)
					
					
					
				
			
			
			
			
				CITES status   (Ref. 108899)
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
				
					Not Evaluated				
			
			
			
			
			
				Threat to humans  
			
			
				
									
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
				Human uses  
			
			
				Fisheries: commercial			
			
			
				FAO - Fisheries: species profile | FishSource | Sea Around Us			
			
			
			
			
			
Tools
			
			
			
			
				
					More information				
				
					 Population dynamicsGrowthMax. ages / sizesLength-weight rel.Length-length rel.Length-frequenciesMass conversionAbundance   Life cycleReproductionMaturityFecunditySpawningEggsEgg developmentLarvae   PhysiologyOxygen consumption
  Human RelatedStamps, coins, misc.
  
			 
			
			
			
				Internet sources
			
			
			
			
			
				Estimates based on models
			
			
			
									
						Preferred temperature  					
				 (Ref. 
115969): 2.1 - 4, mean 3.1 (based on 48 cells).			
 
			
			
			
			
			
						
							
				
					
						Fishing Vulnerability  					
					
					
						Very high vulnerability (90 of 100).					
				
						
						
			
									
						Price category  					
					
					Unknown.