phoca vitulina

2 definitions found

phoca vitulina - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Seal \Seal\ (s[=e]l), n. [OE. sele, AS. seolh; akin to OHG.
     selah, Dan. sael, Sw. sj[aum]l, Icel. selr.] (Zool.)
     Any aquatic carnivorous mammal of the families Phocidae and
     Otariidae.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: Seals inhabit seacoasts, and are found principally in
           the higher latitudes of both hemispheres. There are
           numerous species, bearing such popular names as sea lion
           , sea leopard, sea bear, or ursine seal,
           fur seal, and sea elephant. The bearded seal
           (Erignathus barbatus), the hooded seal (Cystophora cristata
           ), and the ringed seal (Phoca foetida), are
           northern species. See also Eared seal, Harp seal,
           Monk seal, and Fur seal, under Eared, Harp,
           Monk, and Fur. Seals are much hunted for their
           skins and fur, and also for their oil, which in some
           species is very abundant.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     Harbor seal (Zool.), the common seal (Phoca vitulina). It
        inhabits both the North Atlantic and the North Pacific
        Ocean, and often ascends rivers; -- called also marbled  seal
        , native seal, river seal, bay seal, land  seal
        , sea calf, sea cat, sea dog, dotard,
        ranger, selchie, tangfish.
        [1913 Webster]

phoca vitulina - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  Phoca vitulina
      n 1: small spotted seal of coastal waters of the northern
           hemisphere [syn: harbor seal, common seal, Phoca vitulina
           ]