CONTENTS 



Page 



Introduction 1 



Equipment, methods, and personnel 2 



Research in 1965 2 



Distribution off Washington 2 



Distribution off California 2 



Relative abundance of seals and size of groups 4 



Distribution by age and sex 4 



Tag recoveries 4 



Size 4 



Reproduction 4 



Reproductive condition 8 



Pregnancy rate 8 



Uterine horn of conception and fetal sex ratio 8 



Attached organisms (commensals) 8 



Food 10 



Relation of fur seals to commercial fisheries 13 



Summary 13 



Literature cited 14 



Appendix A 16 



Tables 16 



Figures 25 



Appendix B 33 



Observation of Japanese pelagic fur seal research, 1965 33 



Appendix C 40 



Behavior notes 40 



Appendix D 41 



Injured, sick, and diseased fur seals collected pelagically by the U.S.A. in the eastern 



Pacific in 1965 41 



Appendix E 42 



Fetal nnortality during the last 6 months of gestation 42 



TABLES 



1. Age and sex, by month and area, of fur seals collected pelagically by the U.S.A. in 1965. 6 



2. Age and sex of fur seals collected pelagically off California, by month 7 



3. Tag recoveries from fur seals collected pelagically by the U.S.A. in 1965 8 



4. Number of female seals collected pelagically by the U.S.A. in the eastern Pacific and 



(in parentheses) percentage pregnant, 1958-65 9 



5. Number and percentage of seals collected off California in 1965 with algae or barnacles 



growing on guard hairs 10 



6. Stomach contents of fur seals collected off California, 1965 11 



7. Stomach contents of fur seals collected off Washington, 1965 11 



FIGURES 



Number of seals observed (upper figure in each square) and collected (lower) fronn 



lat. 46° N. to lat. 48° 40' N, The sides of each square measure 10 nautical miles. . . 3 

 Number of seals observed (upper figure in each square) and collected (lower) from 



lat. 35° 20' N. to lat. 37° N. The sides of each square measure 10 nautical miles. . . 5 

 Number of seals observed (upper figure in each square) and collected (lower) from 



lat. 37° N. to lat. 38° 30' N. The sides of each square measure 10 nautical miles. . . 5 

 Percentage of stomach content volume and percentage occurrence of principal food 



species in fur seal stomachs, by area, in 1965 12 



