Adrenal glands of the Ross seal Ommatophoca rossii

Almost nothing is known about the adrenal glands of pinnipeds. The paired adrenal glands of a subadult male Ross seal that had died during capture and restraint were removed and weighed. The calculated value (0.23) of the combined adrenal gland weight (26.5 g) expressed as a fraction of body weight (115.5 kg) is marginally higher than the values calculated for conspecific adult Ross seals and much higher than for other phocid seals. The reasons for this are not known but it might be related to concentrations of cortisol and serum testosterone.