The Marine BiomeMarine Vertebrates:Pinnipeds and Carnivora

Carnivora and Pinnipeds

•Have prominent canine teeth.

•Pinnipeds: ▫Seals, sea lions, walruses

•Carnivora: ▫Sea otters and polar bears

Pinnipeds

•“fin footed”

•Have blubber•Use flippers for movement•Do not walk well on land•Only go on land to bear young, sun bathe,

and molt ▫Must go on shore to breed, give birth, and

nurse

Pinnipeds

Seals:

•No ear flaps•Use rear flippers to propel forward and front

flippers for steering•Front flippers have short claws to pull

themselves along the ground•Have a torpedo like shape in the water to

move rapidly 

Examples

•Ribbon Seal

Examples

•Spotted Seal

Examples

•Harbour Seal

Examples

•Crabeater Seal

Pinnipeds

Sea Lions:

•Have ear flaps•Front flippers are used to propel through

water•Move rear flippers to walk forward•Graceful and agile swimmers•Rounded snout•Larger than seals 

Examples

•Stellar Sea Lion

Examples

•California Sea Lion

Examples

•Australian Sea Lion

Examples

• Is this a seal or a sea lion?▫seal

Pinnipeds

Walruses:

•Large protruding tusks for digging mollusks

•Stiff whiskers for feeding on ocean floor•Some have blubber up to 6 inches thick

Examples

•Atlantic Walrus

Examples

•Pacific Walrus

Carnivora

Sea Otters:

•Lack a layer of blubber•Trap heat with dense fur•Eat mostly shell fish or small fish•Spend most of the day maintaining their

fur

Examples

•African Clawless Otter

Examples

•European Otter

Examples

•Northern Pacific Sea Otter

Carnivora

Polar Bears:

•Semi aquatic•Feed primarily on seals•Recently been put on the endangered

species list because of loss of habitat due to global warming

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Polar_Bear_2004-11-15.jpg