Crabeater seal vs

Lobodon carcinophaga compared with Exobasidium splendidum

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Crabeater seal
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Exobasidiomycetes (Exobasidiomycetes)
Order	Pinnipedia (Seals & Sea Lions)	Exobasidiales (Exobasidiales)
Family	Phocidae (True Seals)	Exobasidiaceae
Genus	Lobodon	Exobasidium
Species	Lobodon carcinophaga	Exobasidium splendidum

Conservation Status

Crabeater seal

LC — Least Concern

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Crabeater seal
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Crabeater seal

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Norway, and Sweden.

Exobasidium splendidum is a parasitic basidiomycete fungus that forms galls and hypertrophied growths on the leaves and stems of host plants in the heath family. It inhabits boreal and montane habitats where Ericaceae shrubs such as Arctostaphylos grow. This parasitic fungus deforms host plant tissue to extract nutrients during its reproductive phase.