Monachidae
Monachidae is a taxonomic family of seals. This family is comprised of three extant genera, each containing a single species: Monachus, Neophoca, and Mirounga. These seals are commonly known as monk seals. The family is characterized by its members' adaptations to tropical and subtropical marine environments. They are one of the two families of true seals, also known as phocids. Phocids are distinguished from eared seals (otariids) by the absence of external ear flaps and their inability to rotate their hind flippers forward.
The Mediterranean monk seal, Monachus monachus, inhabits the Mediterranean Sea and the northeastern Atlantic coast. The