Arctocephalus pusillus (Schreber 1775)

[Phoca] pusilla Schreber 1775, Die Saugethiere, Vol. 2, 13: pl. 85 [1775]; see also text, 3 (17): 314 [1776].

Type Locality: Unknown. "Diese Gattung findet sich in den levantischen, und nach dem Herrn Grafen von Büffon, im indischen Meere"; see Allen (1880).

Vernacular Names: Brown Fur Seal.

Subspecies::

Subspecies Arctocephalus pusillus subsp. pusillus Schreber 1775

Subspecies Arctocephalus pusillus subsp. doriferus Wood Jones 1925

Distribution: Two allopatric populations: (1) Southern African coastal regions of Angola (vagrant populations), Namibia (Cape Cross southward), South Africa (east to Algoa Bay) (2) Coastal regions of SE Australia, Tasmania.

Conservation: CITES – Appendix II; IUCN – Lower Risk (lc).

Discussion: Repenning et al. (1971) and King (1983) included doriferus Wood-Jones, 1925; however, Scheffer (1958) considered it a distinct species.