Order: Carnivora
Family: Phocidae
Species: Pagophilus groenlandicus
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Population Trend: increasing
Distribution: from the Gulf of St. Lawrence and across the Arctic to Siberia.
Habitat: in coastal waters or on pack ice.
Size: length : male, 171 - 190cm.
Weight: 120 - 135kg.
Number of young: 1
Sexual Maturity: females, up to 7 years; males, 4 years.
Gestation: 225 days, but twelve months in total because of delayed implantation.
Life-span: up to 30 years.
Food: various species of fish. Young eat crabs.