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J Madsen   cc-by-nc

Phocidae (True Seals) is a family of Mammal. They rely on lift powered swimming to move around.

  • URI: https://eol.org/schema/terms/lift_based_swimming
  • Definition: Hydrofoils, or fins, are used to push against the water to create a normal force to provide thrust, propelling the animal through water. The reduction of fin cross-sectional area helps to minimize drag, and therefore increase efficiency. Regardless of size of the animal, at any particular speed, maximum possible lift is proportional to (wing area) x (speed)<sup>2</sup>. Dolphins and whales have large, horizontal caudal hydrofoils, while many fish and sharks have vertical caudal hydrofoils.
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EOL has data for 30 attributes, including:

Known occurrences, collected specimens and observations of true seals from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility Image   GBIF provides free and open access to biodiversity data. View this species on GBIF
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J Madsen   cc-by-nc

True Seal Habitats

The environments in which many true seals species are known to live. Select an environment to see its true seals species checklist.