Arctocephalus

Template:Taxobox name
	New Zealand fur seal
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Suborder:	Pinnipedia
Family:	Otariidae
Subfamily:	Arctocephalinae
Genus:	''Arctocephalus''; É. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire & F. Cuvier in F. Cuvier, 1826
Type species
	Phoca pusilla; Schreber, 1775
Species
	Arctocephalus gazella; Arctocephalus townsendi; Arctocephalus philippii; Arctocephalus galapagoensis; Arctocephalus pusillus; Arctocephalus forsteri; Arctocephalus tropicalis; Arctocephalus australis

The genus Arctocephalus consists of eight of the nine species of fur seal.

Taxonomy

Genus Arctocephalus
- Antarctic fur seal, A. gazella
- Guadalupe fur seal, A. townsendi
- Juan Fernández fur seal, A. philippii
- Galápagos fur seal, A. galapagoensis
- Brown fur seal (or Cape fur seal), A. pusillus
- New Zealand fur seal, A. forsteri (validity questionable - see below)
- Subantarctic fur seal, A. tropicalis
- South American fur seal, A. australis

The number of species within the genus has been questioned, primarily based on limited molecular data. The issue is complicated because some of the species are able to produce fertile hybrids. A recent review recommended the retention of seven species, deprecating the New Zealand fur seals to a subspecies of the South American fur seal, while also questioning the status of the Guadalupe fur seal.^[1] Other recent studies have indicated the genus may be paraphyletic.^[2] In that case, all species (except for the Cape fur seal) will have to be split off into a separate genus,^[1] for which the name Arctophoca has been suggested.

References

^ ^a ^b Berta, A. & Churchill, M. (2012). "Pinniped Taxonomy: evidence for species and subspecies". Mammal Review. 42 (3): 207–234. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2907.2011.00193.x.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Yonezawa, T.; et al. (2009). "The monophyletic origin of sea lions and fur seals (Carnivora; Otariidae) in the Southern Hemisphere". Gene. 441 (1–2): 89–99. doi:10.1016/j.gene.2009.01.022. PMID 19254754. {{cite journal}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |author= (help)

[Berta2012-1] Berta, A. & Churchill, M. (2012). "Pinniped Taxonomy: evidence for species and subspecies". Mammal Review. 42 (3): 207–234. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2907.2011.00193.x.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[Yonezawa2009-2] Yonezawa, T.; et al. (2009). "The monophyletic origin of sea lions and fur seals (Carnivora; Otariidae) in the Southern Hemisphere". Gene. 441 (1–2): 89–99. doi:10.1016/j.gene.2009.01.022. PMID 19254754. {{cite journal}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |author= (help)

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