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Wildlife of Tasmania
Mammals of Tasmania
Crab-Eater Seal
The crab-eater seal breeds on the Antarctic pack ice; however, there have
been over 20 reports of this species on the Australian mainland.
There have been three records of crab-eater seals in Tasmania. The first
was in 1945 when a carcass was found at Ralph's Bay. In 1996 a dead
crab-eater was also found in North West Bay (south of Hobart). In October
1999 a live crab-eater was found at Primrose Sands. This is the first
reported live sighting of this species in Tasmania.
Contrary to their name, the crab-eater seal does not eat crabs but feeds
almost exclusively on krill – small shrimp like crustaceans. They sieve
krill from the water with the cusps of their teeth .
Crab-eater seals have been found to dive as deep as 300m.
[Wildlife of Tasmania] [Tasmanian Mammals]
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