Subantarctic fur seal Kenya
A new superfamily (Pinnipedia), family (Otariidae), genus (Arctocephalus), and species of large carnivorous mammal for Kenya; the Subantarctic fur seal Arctocephalus tropicalis
The Subantarctic fur seal Arctocephalus tropicalis (J. E. Gray, 1872) is a widespread species that occurs in sub-Antarctic waters, north of the Antarctic Polar Front/Antarctic Convergence, from the southern Atlantic Ocean and southern Indian Ocean eastwards to the southwestern Pacific Ocean. While there have been many vagrant A. tropicalis in South Africa, there is little knowledge of their occurrence on the east coast of Africa to the north of South Africa. In this paper we review what is known concerning the occurrence of A. tropicalis along the coast of East Africa (i.e., Kenya and Tanzania), and discuss two records of vagrant A. tropicalis for Kenya. This is a new superfamily (Pinnipedia), family (Otariidae), genus (Arctocephalus), and species of large carnivorous mammal for the country.
Butynski, T.M., Mathews, P. & De Jong, Y.A. 2025. The Subantarctic fur seal Arctocephalus tropicalis (Carnivora: Pinnipedia: Otariidae) on the coast of East Africa: a review. Journal of East African Natural History 114(1): 1–7.
Abstract: We review the records of the Subantarctic fur seal Arctocephalus tropicalis along the coast of East Africa and present a new record for this region. There are three confirmed records of this species for this region; two in Kenya and one in Tanzania. There is also an unconfirmed record (species identification uncertain) for Tanzania. The Kiunga, Kenya, record is ~195 km farther north than the earlier published northernmost record for A. tropicalis in Africa (Gabon). With the Prince Edward Islands in the Southern Ocean being the putative source of these vagrants, the seal at Kiunga likely swam >5000 km. These records corroborate the considerable dispersal ability for which A. tropicalis is known and provide a new superfamily, family, genus, and species of large carnivorous mammal for Kenya.
For a pdf of this paper please email yvonne@wildsolutions.nl
Immature Subantarctic fur seal Arctocephalus tropicalis found dead ~1 km north of Che Shale Bay, north coast of Kenya, in August 2004. Photographs by Philip Mathews.
Tags: Arctocephalus tropicalis, Kenya, Subantarctic fur seal, vagrant