Monachus monachus
The monk seal measures about 2.4 meters in body length and about 320 kg in body mass. The fur is black in males and grey in females with a paler belly. It has the shortest hair of any pinniped. The snout is broad and the nostrils face upward. There are 3-4 subpopulations of the species in the world that include 700 individuals. It is the rarest pinniped in the world.
The species is polygynous with territorial males. Birth occurs in Octomber and November but this is not very strict. The juveniles make their first contact with water in 2 weeks and reach sexual maturity at 4 years.
The diet of the seal consists on octopus, squid and fish (eels etc). It eats 3 kg per day and can reach feeding ground in the depth of 500 feet.
According to the IUCN the species is considered as Endangered (2015).
Monachus monachus is the only seal that occurs in Greece.
The mediterranean monk seal occurs in the coasts of Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Azores, Croatia, Mauritania and Western Sahara. It has been seen in many spots in the Mediterranean.