Biodiversity & Conservation

Bearded seal - Erignathus barbatus - General information

Bearded seal

Do you have an image for this species? upload it here

Distribution map

Erignathus barbatus recorded (dark blue bullet) and expected (light blue bullet) distribution in Britain and Ireland (see below)

Why do the maps differ?

Sightings Have you seen Erignathus barbatus?
If so please submit your record.

Erignathus barbatus is not listed under any importance categories.

General information

Key Icon Researched by: Morvan Barnes Text page icon Refereed by:

Taxonomy icon Taxonomy

Phylum Chordata Sea squirts, fish, reptiles, birds and mammals
Class Mammalia Seals, walrus, dolphin and whales
Map icon Recorded distribution in Britain and Ireland A vagrant in northern British waters, usually found much further north.
Habitat information icon Habitat information The bearded seal is a cold water species usually inhabiting coastal waters.
Text page icon Description The bearded seal Erignathus barbatus is member of the 'true seal' family. Like all true seals, it has a tapering and pointed muzzle, small, clawed pectoral flippers, and relatively small hind flippers that cannot rotate under the body. It has smooth, long whiskers on the muzzle. The bearded seal is a large seal, with a very small head and a short, thick neck. It can reach 1.9 m in length. It has a short muzzle and moderately large eyes. The back is a uniform dark colour and the underside is paler.

This review can be cited as follows:

Morvan Barnes 2008. Erignathus barbatus. Bearded seal. Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Sub-programme [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. [cited 31/07/2010]. Available from: <http://www.marlin.ac.uk/speciesfullreview.php?speciesID=3280>