Monachus Fleming 1822

Monachus Fleming 1822, Philos. Zool., Vol. 2: 187.

Type Species: Phoca monachus Hermann 1779

Synonyms: Heliophoca Gray 1854; Mammonachus Herrera 1899; Pelagias J. E. Gray 1837; Pelagios F. G. Cuvier 1824; Pelagius F. G. Cuvier 1826; Pelagocyon Gloger 1841; Pelagus McMurtrie 1834; Rigoon Gistel 1854 .

Species and subspecies: 3 species:

Species Monachus monachus (Hermann 1779)

Species Monachus schauinslandi Matschie 1905

Species Monachus tropicalis Gray 1850

Discussion: Revised by King (1956). Wyss (1988) suggested that this might be a paraphyletic group, however see Bininda-Emonds et al. (1999) who supported monophyly (followed here).