Do crabeater seals eat fish?

Despite the soon-realized error, the name stuck. Instead, crabeater seals primarily eat krill. Cephalopods and Antarctic fish also make up a smaller portion of the crabeater seal diet.

What two animals eat crabeater seals?

After a gestation period of 11 months, Crabeater Seals give birth to a single pup. The pup is weaned at 2 – 3 weeks old and they reach sexual maturity at 3 – 4 years of age. Predators of Crabeater Seals are killer whales and leopard seals.

Do crabeater seals eat Ross seals?

There is little seasonality in their prey preference, but they may target adult and male krill. Although the crabeater seal is sympatric with the other Antarctic seal species (Weddell, Ross and leopard seals), the specialization on krill minimizes interspecific food competition.

What kind of food does the crabeater seal eat?

Despite their name, the crabeater seal does not actually eat crabs, instead feeding almost exclusively on Antarctic krill. To help them separate krill from seawater, the seals posses complex serrated teeth with multiple cusps.

How did the crabeater seal get its name?

The name “crabeater” was a mistake of early whalers and sealers, who for whatever reason got it into their heads that these seals loved a diet of crustaceans. Despite the soon-realized error, the name stuck. Instead, crabeater seals primarily eat krill. Cephalopods and Antarctic fish also make up a smaller portion of the crabeater seal diet.

How big does a crabeater seal get to be?

Name: Crabeater Seal (Lobodon carcinophaga) Length: 2,6 metres. Weight: 200 to 300kg. Location: Antarctic coastline. Conservation status: Least Concern. Diet: Krill, cephalopods, fish.

Why are there so many crabeater seals in Antarctica?

The crabeater seal’s abundance is due, in large part, to the slaughter of the great baleen whales in Antarctic waters, which reduced whale feeding pressure on the krill and thus made krill more available to seals and penguins.