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OverviewAI-generated
The Ross seal, scientifically named *Ommatophoca rossii*, is a marine mammal species. It belongs to the family Phocidae within the order Carnivora, class Mammalia, and phylum Chordata. The taxon was described by J.E. Gray in 1844. Its accepted status is recognized, and it is also referred to by the common names Ross-Robbe, Rossrobbe, and Росова фока.
The species is classified with a conservation status of Least Concern according to the IUCN Red List assessment from 2015. The taxon is an instance of a species and is associated with the scientific authority Gray, 1844.
Synthesized by Vinony from 21 facts across 4 sources: Wikidata, WoRMS, IUCN Red List, Vinony graph. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.
Species
Least ConcernRoss seal
Species
- PhylumChordata
- ClassMammalia
- OrderCarnivora
- FamilyPhocidae
via IUCN
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- taxon
- Image
- Ommatophoca rossii (Ross Seal), off Wilkes Land, Antarctica 1.jpg
Show 8 more facts
- taxon rank
- species
- IUCN conservation status
- Least Concern
- taxon name
- Ommatophoca rossii
- Commons category
- Ommatophoca rossii
- Commons gallery
- Ommatophoca rossii
- taxon author citation
- J.E. Gray, 1844
- short name
- O. rossii
- taxon common name
- Ross Seal
Sources (2)
via Wikidata · CC0
~9 min read
Encyclopedic overview
The Ross seal (Ommatophoca rossii) is a true seal (family Phocidae) with a range confined entirely to the pack ice of Antarctica. It is the only species of the genus Ommatophoca. First described during the Ross expedition in 1841, it is the smallest, least abundant and least well known of the Antarctic pinnipeds. Its distinctive features include disproportionately large eyes, whence its scientific name (Ommato- meaning "eye", and phoca meaning "seal"), and complex, trilling and siren-like vocalizations. Ross seals are brachycephalic as they have a short broad muzzle, and also have shorter fur than any other seal.
Taxonomy and evolution
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Ross Seal” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.