Crabeater seals are a species distributed around Antarctica, measuring over 2 meters in length.
Their bodies are quite slender and have a light gray color. They are considered the most numerous seal species in the world. Contrary to their name, the diet of crabeater seals consists mainly of mollusks, which make up about 90% of their diet. The name originates from their scientific name, Lobodon carcinophaga, derived from Greek, where “karkinos” means crab and “phagein” means to eat.
Special Teeth
These teeth act as a sieve to filter seawater and food.
Thanks to their uniquely structured teeth, which are sharp and arranged almost perfectly, crabeater seals can consume large quantities of mollusks. These teeth function like a sieve to filter seawater and food, similar to the baleen plates of whales. Thus, crabeater seals feed by swimming through schools of mollusks with their mouths open. They then close their jaws and filter the water out through their specialized teeth, preventing their prey from escaping.
With this unique dental structure, crabeater seals can access a rich source of nutrition from mollusks without competition from other seal species inhabiting Antarctica. This may also explain why crabeater seals are the most populous among all seal species. It is estimated that there are at least 7 million crabeater seals living in Antarctica, although some believe the number may be as high as 50 million. This population makes crabeater seals one of the most abundant mammals on Earth.
Predators of Crabeater Seals
Of course, the life of a crabeater seal is not entirely safe and easy. In fact, a crabeater seal has an 80% risk of dying in its early years. This is because crabeater seals are a favored prey of the leopard seal. Even if they survive their early years, most crabeater seals bear scars from encounters with leopard seals.
The predators of crabeater seals are leopard seals.
Moreover, crabeater seals also face risks from other species, including orcas. Scientists believe that natural pressures have driven crabeater seals to live in large groups to reduce predation rates.
Movement Speed
They can move on land at speeds of about 19-26 km/h.
Adult crabeater seals (over 5 years old) can grow up to 2.3 meters in length and weigh an average of about 200 kg. In contrast, young crabeater seals grow rapidly, gaining up to 100 kg within 2-3 weeks after weaning. The most notable identifying feature of crabeater seals is their slender bodies and pointed snouts. They have a rather awkward gait on ice but can move quite quickly. Data shows their land speed is about 19-26 km/h, while their swimming speed is 12.7 km/h.
Relationship with Humans
Human interaction with this species is very limited.
Since crabeater seals typically live only around Antarctica, human interaction with them is very limited. Additionally, due to their large population, crabeater seals are not considered threatened. Therefore, they are among the least concerning species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) list. However, with the development of commercial mollusk fishing in Antarctica, the food sources for crabeater seals have been significantly impacted. Furthermore, if climate change continues and worsens, this species will also be greatly affected.
