Quantitative differences in the pineal ultrastructure of perinatal and adult harp (Phoca groenlandica
) and hooded seals (Cystophora cristata
)

Data were collected from harp seal (Phoca groenlandica) and hooded seal (Cystophora cristata) pups belonging to the Greenland Sea (or "West Ice") stocks in 1995-1997. Pups of both species were observed to feed independently shortly after weaning, and their first food was almost exclusively crustaceans. Parathemisto sp., particularly P. libellula, dominated the diet of both the harp and the hooded seal pups, but the diet also contained sympagic amphipods of the genus Gammarus. Krill (Thysanoessa sp.) was of minor importance as food for seal pups in 1995, but occurred more frequentlyin the diet of both species in 1996 and 1997. Considerable niche overlap may suggest some interspecific competition between harp and hooded seal pups in the West Ice.

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Morbilliviral Dermatitis in Seals

Veterinary Pathology ◽

10.1354/vp.38-6-724 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 38 (6) ◽

pp. 724-726 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

T. P. Lipscomb ◽

M. G. Mense ◽

P. L. Habecker ◽

J. K. Taubenberger ◽

R. Schoelkopf

Keyword(s):

Inclusion Bodies ◽

Marine Mammals ◽

Skin Lesions ◽

Basal Cells ◽

Hooded Seal ◽

Cystophora Cristata ◽

Phoca Groenlandica ◽

Phocine Distemper Virus ◽

Intracytoplasmic Inclusion Bodies ◽

Polymerase Chain

A juvenile female hooded seal ( Cystophora cristata) and a juvenile male harp seal ( Phoca groenlandica) stranded separately on the New Jersey (USA) coast and were taken to a marine mammal rehabilitation center. Both were lethargic and emaciated, had dermatitis, and died. Histologic skin lesions in the seals were similar and consisted of epidermal and follicular epithelial hyperplasia, hyperkeratosis, degeneration, and necrosis. The most distinctive finding was extensive syncytial zones bounded superficially by hyperkeratosis and deeply by hyperplastic basal cells. Eosinophilic intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies were present in epithelial cells. Morbilliviral antigen was demonstrated in the skin lesions by immunohistochemistry. Phocine distemper virus was detected in the skin by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and a phocine distemper virus-specific probe using the Southern blot technique. This is the first report of morbilliviral dermatitis in marine mammals.

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Estimated Prey Consumption by Harp seals (Phoca groenlandica), Hooded seals (Cystophora cristata), Grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) and Harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) in Atlantic Canada

Journal of Northwest Atlantic Fishery Science ◽

10.2960/j.v26.a1 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 26 ◽

pp. 1-23 ◽

Cited By ~ 63

Author(s):

M O Hammill ◽

G B Stenson

Keyword(s):

Phoca Vitulina ◽

Prey Consumption ◽

Halichoerus Grypus ◽

Atlantic Canada ◽

Cystophora Cristata ◽

Phoca Groenlandica ◽

Harbour Seals

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Fatty-acyl esters of retinol (vitamin A) in the liver of the harp seal (Phoca groenlandica), hooded seal (Cystophora cristata), and California sea lion (Zalophus californianus)

Biochemistry and Cell Biology ◽

10.1139/o92-123 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 70 (9) ◽

pp. 809-813 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Mark D. Ball ◽

Christopher P. Nizzi ◽

Harold C. Furr ◽

James A. Olson ◽

Olav T. Oftedal

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acid Composition ◽

Vitamin A ◽

Zalophus Californianus ◽

Sea Lion ◽

California Sea Lion ◽

Liver Lipids ◽

Hooded Seal ◽

Cystophora Cristata ◽

Phoca Groenlandica ◽

Retinyl Esters

The fatty-acid composition of retinyl esters in the livers of two species of phocid seal, the harp seal (Phoca groenlandica, n = 20) and the hooded seal (Cystophora cristata, n = 15), and one species of otariid seal, the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus, n = 6), was determined. Vitamin A ranged in concentration from 4 to 1024 nmol retinol/g liver for the phocids and from 381 to 979 nmol/g liver for the otariids. In most of the livers, retinyl palmitate was not the principal ester, and the palmitate + stearate + oleate trio of retinyl esters represented less than 50% of the total. In all samples, the retinyl esters contained 20:1, 20:4, 20:5, and 22:6 in unusually large amounts. Retinyl esters tended to be richer than whole-liver lipids in 20:5 + 22:6, whereas whole-liver lipids were richer in 18:0 and 18:2. Therefore, the pool of acyl donors used for the esterification of retinol may be distinct from that used for other lipids. Birth-to-weaning changes were seen only in the harp seals. In the pups, the hepatic vitamin-A concentration increased 454%, while the proportion of 18:0 and 20:1 in the retinyl esters rose and that of 14:0 + 16:1 and 20:4 fell. Concomitantly, in their mothers, the proportion of 20:4 increased but that of 16:0 and 18:0 decreased.Key words: fatty-acid composition, pinniped liver, retinyl esters, vitamin A.

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Susceptibility of Grey (Halichoerus grypus) and Harp (Phoca groenlandica) Seals to the Influenza Virus and Mycoplasma of Epizootic Pneumonia of Harbor Seals (Phoca vitulina)

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences ◽

10.1139/f84-015 ◽

1984 ◽

Vol 41 (1) ◽

pp. 151-156 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

J. R. Geraci ◽

D. j. St. Aubin ◽

I. K. Barker ◽

V. S. Hinshaw ◽

R. G. Webster ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Influenza Virus ◽

New England ◽

Influenza A ◽

Phoca Vitulina ◽

Lung Homogenate ◽

Halichoerus Grypus ◽

Harbor Seals ◽

Eastern Canada ◽

Cystophora Cristata ◽

Phoca Groenlandica

Six grey, Halichoerus grypus, and 12 harp, Phoca groenlandica, seals were inoculated intratracheally with lung homogenate containing influenza virus A/seal/Mass/1/80 and mycoplasma from harbor seals, Phoca vitulina, which had died in an epizootic of pneumonia. The grey seals were refractory to infection, whereas some of the harp seals developed mild pneumonia. Virus was recovered from 4 of 10 harp seals necropsied, and antibodies were produced in 2 survivors. The mycoplasma given alone to 2 grey seals did not replicate or produce infection and was recovered from only 1 of 12 harp seals inoculated. We examined 99 grey, 102 harp, 14 harbor, and 7 hooded seals (Cystophora cristata) from eastern Canada and found antibodies to avian influenza A/seal/Mass/1/80 in 3 adult male grey seals from Sable Island, N.S.; this virus is apparently adaptable to other seal species. Related forms of the virus are highly suspect as the cause of past epizootics, and one is currently responsible for a new outbreak of pneumonia in New England harbor seals.

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