Current state of the Baikalian seal (Pusa sibirica, Pinnipeda, Phocidae) population: size-weight characteristics

摘要

The current state of the Baikalian seal population is estimated based on size-weight characteristics of the animals obtained for the period from 1988 to 1995. The changes in the body mass, fat amount and body length in males and females of the same age may be of opposite direction from year to year. This fact is related not to peculiarities of feeding of animals, but to processes of self-regulating the number of the population (sexual maturation of females is slowed down. the growth of their length and body mass being slow).