Common Seal vs short-stem iris

Phoca vitulina compared with Iris brevicaulis

Key Differences

• Common Seal is Near Threatened while short-stem iris is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Seal	short-stem iris
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Pinnipedia (Seals & Sea Lions)	Mantodea (Mantodea)
Family	Phocidae (True Seals)	Eremiaphilidae
Genus	Phoca (Harbor Seals)	Iris
Species	Phoca vitulina	Iris brevicaulis

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Seal and short-stem iris share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Common Seal

NT — Near Threatened

Population: ~500.0K

Trend: Stable →

short-stem iris

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Seal	short-stem iris
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.

short-stem iris

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found in Canada.

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.