Otaria baronia (de Blainville, 1820)

W. Christopher Wozencraft, 1993, Order Carnivora, Mammal Species of the World (2 nd Edition), Washington and London: Smithsonian Institution Press, pp. 279-348 : 328

Otaria baronia (de Blainville, 1820) . J. Phys. Chim. Hist. Nat. Arts Paris, 91:300.

TYPE LOCALITY: "the island of Tinian...située à l'est des Philippines ou par le 15° de latitude méridionale et le 215° de long, méridionale de Greenwich." This is an error, as there are no sea lions on these islands, fixed by Scheffer (1958) as "it probably came from the Strait of Magellan or Islas Juan Fernândez" based on Allen (1905) and Hamilton (1934) .

DISTRIBUTION: South American coasts from Peru to Uruguay; Falkland Isl; occasionally north to coast of Brazil.

SYNONYMS: chilensis Müller, 1841 ; chonotica Philippi, 1892; flavescens Shaw, 1800 ; fluva Philippi, 1892; godeffroyi Peters, 1866; hookeri Sclater, 1866 ; leonina Molina, 1782 ; minor Gray, 1874 ; molossina Lesson and Garnot, 1826; pernettyi Lesson, 1828; pygmaea Gray, 1874 ; rufa Philippi, 1892 ; scout Boddaert, 1784; ulloae Tschudi, 1844; uraniae Lesson, 1827; velutina Philippi, 1892.

COMMENTS: Phoca flavescens Shaw, 1800 , was described based on a juvenile specimen in the Leverian Museum from the "Magellanic Straits" [ Chile]. His description, as stated, does not fit any know otariid from this region ( Allen, 1880, 1905). Cabrera (1940) believed that the description was sufficient to distinguish it from Arctocephalus , the only other possibility; based on the molting of young pups. King (1978) who reviewed the controversy, pointed out that at molting stage, the size of the pup would exclude it from Shaw's (1800) description.