For more positive identification, a suite of other morphological and behavioural characteristics needs to be considered. The New Zealand fur seal's main prey includes Redbait and Jack Mackerel and myctophid species. Unlike the Australian fur seal, it also consumes seabirds such as Little Penguins and Shearwaters. The species is listed as rare under the Tasmanian Threatened Species Protection Act 1995 due to their low numbers. In Tasmania the population may be as low as only several thousand and they have not re-populated traditional areas such as Bass Strait.
Further details are available at our threatened species site .