TY - JOUR
T1 - First record of a southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) in Sri Lankan waters
AU - de Vos, Asha
PY - 2021/12
Y1 - 2021/12
N2 - An unusual sighting of a juvenile southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina), outside its typical range, was recorded off the southern coast of Sri Lanka between 20th November and 20th December 2019. The individual, a male as confirmed by the presence of a prepuce, underwent a catastrophic moult during this 1 month period, following which no further observations were recorded and so it was assumed it returned to sea. This represents the first confirmed sighting of a southern elephant seal, and indeed a phocid, in Sri Lankan waters.
AB - An unusual sighting of a juvenile southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina), outside its typical range, was recorded off the southern coast of Sri Lanka between 20th November and 20th December 2019. The individual, a male as confirmed by the presence of a prepuce, underwent a catastrophic moult during this 1 month period, following which no further observations were recorded and so it was assumed it returned to sea. This represents the first confirmed sighting of a southern elephant seal, and indeed a phocid, in Sri Lankan waters.
KW - Dispersal
KW - Mirounga leonina
KW - Moulting
KW - Northern Indian Ocean
KW - Southern elephant seal
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85100116796&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1186/s41200-020-00196-z
DO - 10.1186/s41200-020-00196-z
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85100116796
SN - 1755-2672
VL - 14
JO - Marine Biodiversity Records
JF - Marine Biodiversity Records
IS - 1
M1 - 5
ER -