Editing Eared seal (section)

==Behavior==
All otariids breed on land during well-defined breeding seasons. Except for the [[Australian sea lion]], which has an atypical 17.5 month breeding cycle, they form strictly annual aggregations on beaches or rocky substrates, often on islands. All species are [[Polygyny in animals|polygynous]]; i.e. successful males breed with several females. In most species, males arrive at breeding sites first and establish and maintain territories through vocal and visual displays and occasional fighting. Females typically arrive on shore a day or so before giving birth. While considered social animals, no permanent hierarchies or statuses are established on the colonies. The extent to which males control females or territories varies between species. Thus, the northern fur seal and the [[South American sea lion]] tend to herd specific [[Harem (zoology)|harem]]-associated females, occasionally injuring them, while the Steller sea lion and the [[New Zealand sea lion]] control spatial territories, but do not generally interfere with the movement of the females. Female New Zealand sea lions are the only otrariids that move up to {{Convert|2|km|mi|abbr=on}} into forests to protect their pups during the breeding season.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Augé|first1=Amélie|last2=Chilvers|last3=Moore|last4=Mathieu|last5=Robertson|date=2009-01-01|title=Aggregation and dispersion of female New Zealand sea lions at the Sandy Bay breeding colony, Auckland Islands: How unusual is their spatial behaviour?|url=https://brill.com/view/journals/beh/146/9/article-p1287_7.xml|journal=Behaviour|language=en|volume=146|issue=9|pages=1287–1311|doi=10.1163/15683909X427687|issn=0005-7959}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Augé|first1=Amélie A.|last2=Chilvers|first2=B. Louise|last3=Mathieu|first3=Renaud|last4=Moore|first4=Antoni B.|date=2012|title=On-land habitat preferences of female New Zealand sea lions at Sandy Bay, Auckland Islands|url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2011.00515.x|journal=Marine Mammal Science|language=en|volume=28|issue=3|pages=620–637|doi=10.1111/j.1748-7692.2011.00515.x|bibcode=2012MMamS..28..620A |issn=1748-7692}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Frans|first1=Veronica F.|last2=Augé|first2=Amélie A.|last3=Edelhoff|first3=Hendrik|last4=Erasmi|first4=Stefan|last5=Balkenhol|first5=Niko|last6=Engler|first6=Jan O.|date=2018|title=Quantifying apart what belongs together: A multi-state species distribution modelling framework for species using distinct habitats|journal=Methods in Ecology and Evolution|language=en|volume=9|issue=1|pages=98–108|doi=10.1111/2041-210X.12847|s2cid=91050320|issn=2041-210X|doi-access=free|bibcode=2018MEcEv...9...98F }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Frans|first1=Veronica F.|last2=Augé|first2=Amélie A.|last3=Fyfe|first3=Jim|last4=Zhang|first4=Yuqian|last5=McNally|first5=Nathan|last6=Edelhoff|first6=Hendrik|last7=Balkenhol|first7=Niko|last8=Engler|first8=Jan O.|title=Integrated SDM database: Enhancing the relevance and utility of species distribution models in conservation management|url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/2041-210X.13736|journal=Methods in Ecology and Evolution|year=2022|volume=13|issue=1 |pages=243–261|language=en|doi=10.1111/2041-210X.13736|bibcode=2022MEcEv..13..243F |s2cid=243893898|issn=2041-210X}}</ref>

Otariids are carnivorous, feeding on [[fish]], [[squid]] and [[krill]]. Sea lions tend to feed closer to shore in [[upwelling]] zones, feeding on larger fish, while the smaller fur seals tend to take longer, offshore foraging trips and can subsist on large numbers of smaller prey items. They are visual feeders. Some females are capable of dives of up to {{Convert|400|m|ft|abbr=on}}.