Extreme herding behavior in adult male sub-Antarctic fur seals

Abstract

We re-analyzed unpublished data on herding behavior in adult male sub-Antarctic fur seals Arctocephalus tropicalis recorded at Gough Island during the 1975/76 austral summer breeding season. The results extend the study of competition and injury in adult males from the same population. Herding behavior is defined and shows that adult males in this population exhibit the most extreme herding behavior of the fur seal genus Arctocephalus. Extreme herding responses result from both human disturbance and in natural settings without human disturbance. Such information is needed for comparative studies about aggression and territorial behavior in otariids.