Common Seal vs Narrow swordfern

Phoca vitulina compared with Nephrolepis cordifolia

Key Differences

Common Seal is Near Threatened while Narrow swordfern is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Seal	Narrow swordfern
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Tracheophyta
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Polypodiopsida (Polypodiopsida)
Order	Pinnipedia (Seals & Sea Lions)	Polypodiales (Polypodiales)
Family	Phocidae (True Seals)	Nephrolepidaceae
Genus	Phoca (Harbor Seals)	Nephrolepis
Species	Phoca vitulina	Nephrolepis cordifolia

Conservation Status

Common Seal

NT — Near Threatened

Population: ~500.0K

Trend: Stable →

Narrow swordfern

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Seal	Narrow swordfern
Diet	Carnivore	—
Average Lifespan	30 years	—
Average Length	1.7 m	—
Average Weight	80.0 kg	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Seal

Habitat

Typically found in diverse ecosystems where prey species are available.

Range

Found across Europe (7 countries) and North America (United States). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Narrow swordfern

Habitat

Typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe), Asia (Taiwan), Europe (Italy, Portugal, Sweden), North America (Cuba, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (New Zealand), and South America (Brazil, Colombia).

Common Seal

The most widely distributed pinniped, harbor seals inhabit temperate and subarctic coastal waters of both the North Atlantic and North Pacific. Adults reach up to 130 kg and spend roughly equal time at sea hunting fish, squid, and crustaceans and hauling out on beaches or rocks to rest. Their large, expressive eyes are adapted for underwater vision in low light. Harbor seals are a critical food source for orcas, sharks, and polar bears.