Antarctic fur seal vs Common Eider

Arctocephalus gazella compared with Somateria mollissima

Key Differences

• Antarctic fur seal is Least Concern while Common Eider is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Antarctic fur seal	Common Eider
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Anseriformes (Anseriformes)
Family	Otariidae	Anatidae
Genus	Arctocephalus	Somateria
Species	Arctocephalus gazella	Somateria mollissima

Evolutionary Relationship

Antarctic fur seal and Common Eider share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Antarctic fur seal

LC — Least Concern

Common Eider

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Antarctic fur seal	Common Eider
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Antarctic fur seal

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Common Eider

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (United States). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Antarctic fur seal

The Antarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus gazella) is a species in the genus Arctocephalus. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Common Eider

Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List. Close to qualifying as threatened, with populations that may become vulnerable without conservation action.