# Crabeater seal (*Lobodon carcinophaga*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/crabeater-seal  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The crabeater seal (Lobodon carcinophaga) is a mammal in the family Phocidae, order Carnivora, suborder Caniformia. It is a large, marine invertivore with an adult body mass of 225 kg, and up to 238.3 kg reported by our sources. The IUCN Red List lists the crabeater seal as Least Concern, which is not a threatened category.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 225 kg – 238.3 kg |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 37.5 years |
| Diet | Invertivore |
| Longest recorded lifespan | 39 years |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | Not recorded |
| Gestation | 270 days – 335 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 1 |
| Age at maturity | 2.49 years – 4 years |
| Litters or clutches a year | 0.945 |
| Active | Day and night (cathemeral) |
| Lifestyle | Marine |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Mammalia
- order: Carnivora
- family: Phocidae
- genus: Lobodon
- species: *Lobodon carcinophaga* (Hombron & Jacquinot, 1842)

Synonyms: *Lobodon cancrivora*, *Lobodon carcinophagus*, *Phoca carcinophaga*, *Stenorhynchus serridens*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the crabeater seal?

The crabeater seal is a mammal in the family Phocidae, within the order Carnivora. It is a marine animal.

### How heavy is a crabeater seal?

An adult crabeater seal has a body mass of 225 kg, with up to 238.3 kg reported by our sources. This places it in the large size class.

### What does the crabeater seal eat?

The crabeater seal is an invertivore, and its trophic level is carnivore.

### Is the crabeater seal endangered?

No. The crabeater seal is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, which is not a threatened category.

### How long does a crabeater seal live?

The crabeater seal has a lifespan of 37.5 years, with up to 39 years reported by our sources.

### How many young does a crabeater seal have?

The crabeater seal has 1 young per litter, after a gestation period of 269.8 days.

### When does a crabeater seal reach sexual maturity?

The crabeater seal reaches sexual maturity at 4 years, with values from 2.5 years reported by our sources.

### Who named the crabeater seal?

The crabeater seal, Lobodon carcinophaga, was named by Hombron & Jacquinot in 1842.

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [EltonTraits 1.0: species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1), CC0 1.0, 1.0. Wilman, H., Belmaker, J., Simpson, J., de la Rosa, C., Rivadeneira, M.M. & Jetz, W. (2014) EltonTraits 1.0: Species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals. Ecology 95: 2027. https://doi.org/10.1890/13-1917.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Crabeater seal (Lobodon carcinophaga). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/crabeater-seal