What does Hawaiian monk seal eat?
Hawaiian monk seals are “generalist” feeders, which means they eat a wide variety of foods depending on what’s available. They eat many types of common fishes, squids, octopuses, eels, and crustaceans (crabs, shrimps, and lobsters).
Do Hawaiian monk seals eat plants?
Hawaiian monk seals are “generalist” feeders, which means they eat a variety of foods depending on what’s available. Monk seals are primarily “benthic” foragers (bottom feeders), eating a variety of prey including fish, cephalopods, and crustaceans. Their diet varies by location, sex, and age.
How much do monk seals eat?
Monk seals eat about 4-8% of their body weight, depending on the age class of the seal. If there is an increasing population of seals in the main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) there is concern that seals may be negatively impacting the local ecosystem.
What animals eat Hawaiian monk seals?
Tiger sharks often prey upon Hawaiian monk seals as evidenced by shark bite wounds present on many monk seals. Other shark predators include gray reef and white-tipped reef sharks.
How do monk seals get their food?
To find food, they usually travel away from the immediate shoreline, diving between 50 to 300 feet to forage. Monk seals can dive as far as 1800 feet, and sometimes forage at depths over 1000 feet. Adults are generally nocturnal hunters.
Do monk seals eat turtles?
Monk seals primarily feed on squid, octopus, and fish. Even though monk seals can dive to 1,500 ft. A handful of monk seals have been found feeding on lobsters, and while no monk seals have been known to dine on sea turtles, on one of our paddling tours we encountered a monk seal that was aggressively handling a honu.
Do monk seals have teeth?
The Hawaiian monk seal has a relatively small, flat head with large black eyes, eight pairs of teeth, and a short snout with the nostrils on top and vibrissae on each side.
Do monk seals have fur?
The seals are born with a black lanugo—a fur coat found on some infant mammals. They shed this as they grow, and as adults, they have dark gray backs and light-colored bellies. Hawaiian monk seals are 7 to 7.5 feet (2.1 to 2.2 meters) in length, with females larger than males.
What do seals get eaten by?
Whales, sharks, and even other seals are the primary non-human predators of seals.
How did monk seals get their name?
The Hawaiian name for the monk seal is “ilio-holo-i-ka-uaua,” which means “dog running in the rough water.” They may look slightly doglike because they are somewhat closely related to canines. The seal’s common name comes from the thick fold of skin around the neck that resembles the hood of a monk’s robe.