Otaria

Otaria is a genus of eared seal, family Otariidae, whose only living species is the South American sea lion, Otaria flavescens, found along the western and southeastern coasts of South America; an extinct species, Otaria josefinae, is also assigned to the genus. Highly sexually dimorphic, males develop a large head and prominent mane and defend both territories and individual females during breeding, while the species feeds mainly on fish and cephalopods and hauls out on sand, gravel, rocky or pebble beaches. The overall population is considered stable, estimated at roughly 265,000 animals.