coast amaranth vs Common Seal

Amaranthus pumilus compared with Phoca vitulina

Key Differences

  • coast amaranth is Extinct while Common Seal is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank coast amaranth Common Seal
Kingdom Plantae (植物) Animalia (動物)
Phylum Magnoliophyta (被子植物門) Chordata (脊索動物)
Class Magnoliopsida (モクレン綱) Mammalia (哺乳類)
Order Caryophyllales (ナデシコ目) Pinnipedia (Seals & Sea Lions)
Family Amaranthaceae Phocidae (True Seals)
Genus Amaranthus Phoca (Harbor Seals)
Species Amaranthus pumilus Phoca vitulina

Conservation Status

coast amaranth

EX — Extinct

Common Seal

NT — Near Threatened

Population: ~500.0K

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute coast amaranth Common Seal
Diet Carnivore
Average Lifespan 30 years
Average Length 1.7 m
Average Weight 80.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

coast amaranth

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Found in Japan.

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.

coast amaranth

Coast amaranth (Amaranthus pumilus) is an annual herb in the family Amaranthaceae, native to the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the eastern United States, where it once grew on coastal foredunes, beach strand, and shell-hash substrates above the high tide line from New York south to South Carolina. It is a low-growing, fleshy plant with small, rounded leaves and inconspicuous green flowers typical of the genus. Coast amaranth is assessed as Extinct in the Wild by the IUCN, as it has not been reliably documented from wild populations since the mid-20th century; the last confirmed collections date to the 1960s. The species' decline and likely extinction resulted from intense human pressure on Atlantic coastal habitats through shoreline development, beach stabilisation, vehicular traffic on beaches, and increased storm frequency disrupting pioneer dune vegetation. It is federally listed as Threatened in the United States, though this listing predates confirmed extinction in the wild. A small number of ex-situ accessions may exist in botanical garden collections. Genetic material and seed banking efforts represent the only remaining conservation options for this critically reduced species.

Common Seal

最も広く分布する鰭脚類であるゴマフアザラシの近縁種・ゼニガタアザラシ(Phoca vitulina)は、北大西洋と北太平洋の温帯・亜北極沿岸に生息する。成体は最大130kgに達し、海での魚・イカ・甲殻類の捕食と海岸や岩場での休息にほぼ同じ時間を費やす。大きく表情豊かな目は低照度での水中視覚に適応している。シャチ・サメ・ホッキョクグマにとって重要な食料源である。

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