Halichoerus grypus

(O. Fabricius, 1791)

Gray Seal

Taxonomy

Subclass : Theria
Infraclass : Placentalia
Magnorder : Boreoeutheria
Superorder : Laurasiatheria
Order : Carnivora
Suborder : Caniformia
Infraorder : Arctoidea
Parvorder : Pinnipedia
Family : Phocidae
Subfamily : Phocinae
Tribe : Phocini
Genus : Halichoerus

Species status

Living
Found in the wild
Listed in MSW3 2005

Authority citation

Fabricius, O. 1791. Udforlig Beskrivelse over de Grønlandske Sæle. Skrivter af Naturhistorie-Selskabet 1(2):73-170.

Authority publication link

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/56359518

Original name as described

Phoca Grypus

Other common names

Atlantic Seal · Horsehead

Type material

ZMUC M11-1525

Type kind

holotype

Type locality

No type locality given. Listed by V. B. Scheffer in 1958 as "Greenland."

Biogeographic realm

Marine

Country distribution

Belgium · Canada · Denmark · Estonia · Finland · France · Germany · Iceland · Ireland · Latvia · Lithuania · Netherlands · Norway · Poland · Russia · Sweden · United Kingdom · United States · Greenland · Portugal

Subregion distribution

USA(ME, NH, MA, RI, CT?, NY?, NJ?)

Distribution notes

Vagrant sightings as far south as New Jersey

Distribution references

Rice, D.W. 1998. Marine mammals of the world. Systematics and distribution. Special Publication, Society for Marine Mammalogy 4:1-231. a#37269

IUCN Red List status

Least Concern

Species Permalink

https://mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1005913

Country distribution map

The map below provides a general overview. Most species inhabit only specific regions within countries. Hover over the highlighted regions to see the country name.

Names and synonyms

Present and past (if available) associated names to the species. Click on a name to view its details. If the list is long, scroll down to see more.

Phoca Grypus

(O. Fabricius, 1791)

Family

Phocidae

Root name

grypus

Validity status

species

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

ZMUC M11-1525

Type kind

holotype

Authority page

167

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/56359518

Authority publication

Skrivter af Naturhistorie-Selskabet

Name usages

  1. Fabricius (1791:167, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/56359518) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/68496)
  2. Melchior (1834:219) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/68789)

Phoca flavescens

(Retzius, 1800)

Family

Phocidae

Root name

flavescens

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

preoccupied

Authority page

9

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/50496724

Authority publication

Leipzig

Halichœrus griseus

S. Nilsson, 1820

Family

Phocidae

Root name

griseus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

377

Authority publication

Lund

Name usages

  1. Nilsson (1820:377) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/69318)
  2. Lesson (1842:82) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/36812)
  3. Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)

Phoca halichoerus

(Thienemann, 1824)

Family

Phocidae

Root name

halichoerus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

142

Authority publication

book

Name usages

Schinz (1825:372, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/51523789) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/66129)

Halychoerus griseus

Lesson, 1827

Family

Phocidae

Root name

griseus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

204

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/54207672

Authority publication

Paris

Name usages

  1. Lesson (1827:204, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/54207672) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/36839)
  2. Boitard (1841:278, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/16650354) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/37375)

Phoca Gryphus

(J. B. Fischer, 1829)

Family

Phocidae

Root name

gryphus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

incorrectsubsequentspelling

Authority page

239

Authority publication

Stuttgart

Name usages

  1. Fischer (1829:239) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/59856)
  2. Burmeister (1837:794, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/46858129) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/72421)

Halichoerus Gryphus

S. Nilsson, 1838

Family

Phocidae

Root name

gryphus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

namecombination · incorrectsubsequent_spelling

Authority page

239

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/34530091

Authority publication

Kongl. Vetenskaps-Academiens Handlingar

Name usages

  1. Nilsson (1838:239, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/34530091) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/69398)
  2. Blyth (1840:99, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/49918313) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67419)

Halichoerus Grypus

S. Nilsson, 1841

Family

Phocidae

Root name

grypus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

318

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/9707201

Authority publication

Archiv für Naturgeschichte

Name usages

  1. Nilsson (1841:318, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/9707201) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/65304)
  2. Gray (1844:3, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/6957430) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/60480)
  3. Hornschuch & Schilling (1850:8) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/70298)
  4. Anonymous (1851:29, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/6956602) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/70301)
  5. Gray (1866:34, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/9729756) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/37226)
  6. Murray (1866:330, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15580326) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/39798)
  7. Gill (1866:12, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/33204509) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/37257)
  8. Sclater (1872:63, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/17037840) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/61617)
  9. Van Beneden (1877:17, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/57594841) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/61708)
  10. Allen (1880:465, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/1565672) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/34345)
  11. True (1885:607, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/7306401) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/35039)
  12. Nehring (1886:119, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/7794215) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/68977)
  13. Allen (1895:187, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/26894323) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/15949)
  14. Schulze (1897:99) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/60594)
  15. Trouessart (1897:382, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/53434924) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/59284)
  16. Miller & Rehn (1901:195, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/56790198) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/35890)
  17. Trouessart (1904:284, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/53423165) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/59289)
  18. Copeland & Church (1906:124, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2348233) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/34311)
  19. Chapskiy (1955:171) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/69670)
  20. Corbet & Hill (1980:107) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63069)
  21. Honacki, Kinman & Koeppl (1982:286) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63071)
  22. Corbet & Hill (1991:116) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63070)
  23. Wozencraft (1993:329) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/69009)
  24. Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)
  25. O'Brien, Menninger & Nash (2006:535) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/7321)
  26. Mittermeier & Wilson (2014:179) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67175)
  27. Bradley, Ammerman, Baker, Bradley, Cook, Dowler, Jones, Schmidly, Stangl, Van Den Bussche & Würsig (2014:13, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/57785985) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/19157)
  28. Olsen, Galatius, Biard, Gregersen & Kinze (2016:718) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/70293)
  29. Mammal Diversity Database (2018:ID #9660) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67336)
  30. Mammal Diversity Database (2019:ID #9660) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67337)
  31. Meinig, Boye, Dähne, Hutterer & Lang (2020:24) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/70294)
  32. Mammal Diversity Database (2024, https://www.mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1005913) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67250)
  33. International Union for the Conservation of Nature (2024, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/9660/45226042) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67246)

Halichærus gryphus

Bonaparte, 1845

Family

Phocidae

Root name

gryphus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

namecombination · incorrectsubsequent_spelling

Authority page

12

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/43573726

Authority publication

Milan

Name usages

Bonaparte (1845:12, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/43573726) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/40449)

Halichoerus macrorhynchus

Hornschuch & Schilling, 1850

Family

Phocidae

Root name

macrorhynchus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

6

Authority publication

Greifswald

Name usages

  1. Hornschuch & Schilling (1850:6) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/70298)
  2. Anonymous (1851:29, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/6956602) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/70301)

Halichoerus pachyrhynchus

Hornschuch & Schilling, 1850

Family

Phocidae

Root name

pachyrhynchus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

11

Authority publication

Greifswald

Name usages

  1. Hornschuch & Schilling (1850:11) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/70298)
  2. Anonymous (1851:29, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/6956602) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/70301)

Halichoerus pachyrhynchus Var. perspicillata

Hornschuch & Schilling, 1850

Family

Phocidae

Root name

perspicillatus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

12

Authority publication

Greifswald

Name usages

Hornschuch & Schilling (1850:12) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/70298)

[Halichoerus grypus] Varietas atlantica

Nehring, 1886

Family

Phocidae

Root name

atlanticus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

122

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/7794218

Authority publication

Sitzungsberichte der Gesellschaft Naturforschender Freunde zu Berlin

Name usages

  1. Nehring (1886:122, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/7794218) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/68977)
  2. Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)
  3. Olsen, Galatius, Biard, Gregersen & Kinze (2016:718) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/70293)

[Halichoerus grypus] Varietas baltica

Nehring, 1886

Family

Phocidae

Root name

balticus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

122

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/7794218

Authority publication

Sitzungsberichte der Gesellschaft Naturforschender Freunde zu Berlin

Name usages

  1. Nehring (1886:122, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/7794218) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/68977)
  2. Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)

Halichoerus grypus grypus

Wozencraft, 2005

Family

Phocidae

Root name

grypus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority publication

Baltimore

Name usages

  1. Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)
  2. Olsen, Galatius, Biard, Gregersen & Kinze (2016:718) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/70293)
  3. Meinig, Boye, Dähne, Hutterer & Lang (2020:24) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/70294)

Halichoerus grypus macrorhynchus

Wozencraft, 2005

Family

Phocidae

Root name

macrorhynchus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority publication

Baltimore

Name usages

Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)

Halichoerus grypus atlanticus

Meinig, Boye, Dähne, Hutterer, & J. Lang, 2020

Family

Phocidae

Root name

atlanticus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

24

Authority publication

Naturschutz und Biologische Vielfalt

Name usages

Meinig, Boye, Dähne, Hutterer & Lang (2020:24) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/70294)

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