Mammalia | 
Carnivora | 
Phocidae
			
			
			
				Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range				
				
					Ecology				
				
			
			
				Bathydemersal; depth range 0 - 6000 m (Ref. 356).  Boreal; 90°N -   0°S, 97°W -   180°E			
			
			
				
			
			
			
				Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic:  North Atlantic Ocean, Arctic Ocean, Baffin Island, Magdalen Island, Russia, Canada (Ref. 1394).  Pagophilus groenlandicus groenlandicus:  Newfoundland, Jan Mayen (Norway), Baffin Bay, Greenland Sea, Nova Scotia, Greenland, Iceland; and vagrants in Virginia, Scotland, Germany, France; Pagophilus groenlandicus oceanicus:  Barents Sea, Russia, White Sea (Ref. 1522).
			
			
			
			
			
				Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
			
			
				Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm Max length : 190 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 1394); 180 cm TL (female); max. published weight: 135.0 kg (Ref. 1394); max. published weight: 135.0 kg			
			
			
						
			
			
			
			
				
					Live chiefly in pack ice, but can be found away from it in summer.  Feeds on a variety of crustaceans and open-water fishes during migration, and switch to several varieties of bottom dwelling fishes in summer on the northern grounds (Ref. 1394). Live chiefly in pack ice, but can be found away from it in summer (Ref. 1394).  Adults are highly gregarious; young seals tend to be solitary.  Typically forms aggregations when feeding (Ref. 117964).  Feeds on a variety of crustaceans and open-water fishes during migration, and switch to several varieties of bottom dwelling fishes in summer on the northern grounds (Ref. 1394).				
			
			
			
			
			
				Life cycle and mating behavior				
					Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae				
			
			
				
									
			
			
			
			
			
				Jefferson, T.A., S. Leatherwood and M.A. Webber 1993 FAO species Identification Guide: Marine Mammals of the World. Rome, FAO. 320 p. + 587 figures. (Ref. 1394)
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
					
						IUCN Red List Status    
						 (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)
					
					
					
				
			
			
			
			
				CITES status   (Ref. 108899)
			
			
				
					Not Evaluated				
			
			
			
			
			
			
				
					Not Evaluated				
			
			
			
			
			
				Threat to humans  
			
			
				
									
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
				Human uses  
			
			
				Fisheries: commercial			
			
			
				FAO - Fisheries: landings, species profile | FIRMS (Stock assessments) | FishSource | Sea Around Us			
			
			
			
			
			
Tools
			
			
			
			
				
					More information				
				
					 Life cycleReproduction
Maturity
Fecundity
Spawning
Eggs
Egg development
Larvae
  PhysiologyOxygen consumption
  Human RelatedStamps, coins, misc.
  				 
			 
			
			
			
				Internet sources
			
			
			
			
			
				Estimates based on models
			
			
			
									
						Preferred temperature  					
				 (Ref. 
115969): -0.9 - 4.1, mean 0.6 (based on 2101 cells).			
 
			
			
			
			
			
						
							
				
					
						Fishing Vulnerability  					
					
					
						High to very high vulnerability (71 of 100).					
				
						
						
			
									
						Price category  					
					
					Unknown.