Encyclopedia of Life · EOL (see source)
OverviewAI-generated
The spotted seal (*Phoca largha*) is a species of marine mammal belonging to the family Phocidae. It is classified within the order Carnivora, class Mammalia, and phylum Chordata. The taxon was described by Pallas in 1811 and is currently accepted as a valid species. Its parent taxon is *Phoca*.
The IUCN Red List assessed the species as Least Concern in 2016. While its primary habitat is marine, it is also associated with forest and shrubland environments. The gestation period for the spotted seal is 10.5 months. The species is also known by the common names Larga Seal, Largha-Seehund, and 斑海豹.
Synthesized by Vinony from 24 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 Concernspotted seal
Species
- PhylumChordata
- ClassMammalia
- OrderCarnivora
- FamilyPhocidae
Observations: In the wild, these animals are believed to live up to 35 years (Bernhard Grzimek 1990). Their longevity in captivity has not been studied in detail, but one specimen lived 33.6 years (Richard Weigl 2005). More detailed studies are necessary to determine the maximum longevity of this species. Previously classified as *Phoca vitulina largha*.
via IUCN
~9 min read
Encyclopedic overview
The spotted seal (Phoca largha), also known as the larga seal or largha seal, is a species of earless seal (or true seal, Phocidae). It inhabits ice floes and waters of the north Pacific Ocean and adjacent seas. It is primarily found along the continental shelf of the Beaufort, Chukchi, Bering and Okhotsk Seas and south to the northern Yellow Sea and it migrates south as far as northern Huanghai and the western Sea of Japan. It is also found in Alaska from the southeastern Bristol Bay to Demarcation Point during the ice-free seasons of summer and autumn when spotted seals mate and have pups. Smaller numbers are found in the Beaufort Sea. It is sometimes mistaken for the harbor seal to which it is closely related and spotted seals and harbor seals often mingle together in areas where their habitats overlap.
The reduction in arctic ice floes due to global warming led to concerns that the spotted seal was threatened with extinction. Studies were conducted on its population numbers, with the conclusion, as of 15 October 2009, that the spotted seal population in Alaskan waters is not currently to be listed as endangered by NOAA. However, as of 2026, the NOAA considers the distinct population group of southern spotted seals to be threatened.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Spotted Seal” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.