Marine Biology, June 9, 2006 Lecture 19: Antarctic Birds and Mammals
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Marine Biology, June 9, 2006
Lecture 19: Antarctic Birds and Mammals
Non-penguin seabirds: many species, including…
Blackbrowed albatross (and other albatross species)
Southern giant petrel
Wilson’s storm petrels
Blue-eyed shags
NOTE: Many others; birds are highly successful in the Southern Ocean!
Order Pinnipedia: Seals, sea lions and walruses (but no walruses in the Antarctic)
Family Phocidae: true (earless) seals
Phocid characteristics
no external ear
short foreflippers
hindlimbs held parallel , work together for propulsion
relatively short neck
Sex organs retractable; testes internal
Best divers are in this group (Elephant seals: deepest pinniped divers)
Antarctic species
Crabeater seal
Elephant seal
Leopard seal
Weddell seal
Ross Seal (relatively rare)
Family Otariidae: sea lions, fur seals
Otariid characteristics
small external ear
long foreflippers used for standing (on land), and for propulsion
hindlimbs can be splayed apart, turned under body for support on land
Sex organs retractable; testes external
Flexible neck: predation
Porpoising behavior (not generally seen in the Phocidae)
Antarctic species
Antarctic fur seal; Subantarctic fur seal
Family Odobenidae: walruses: 1 species, circumpolar (N. Pacific and N. Atlantic subspecies; no Antarctic species)
No Antarctic species , so won’t go into…
Order Cetacea
Suborder Mysticeti: the baleen whales
Major characteristics
Baleen plates for filter-feeding
Key species
Humpback whales
Minke whales
Suborder Odontoceti: toothed whales
Antarctic species = Orcas!
Study questions:
Compare the characteristics of Family Phocidae vs. Family Otariidae within the Order Pinnipedia. To which of these Families do most Antarctic pinnipeds belong?
Be able to name several mammal and bird species that feed on…krill! Name others that do not eat the krill, but rely on them indirectly (perhaps via other food web links).
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