Sea lion oil, a traditional Chinese medicine. It is found in coastal areas such as the Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea, and East China Sea. It has the effects of warming the yang, relieving phlegm and dampness, clearing turbidity, and nourishing the skin. It is commonly used for phlegm-dampness, intestinal rumbling diarrhea, frostbite, and chapped skin.
Distribution of Sea Lion Oil
Coastal areas of the Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea, and East China Sea
Medicinal Parts of Sea Lion Oil
Fat oil.
Main Functions and Indications of Sea Lion Oil
Sea lion oil is used for phlegm-dampness, intestinal rumbling diarrhea, frostbite, and chapped skin.
Dosage and Administration of Sea Lion Oil
Oral: decoction 3-9g; or take after refining. External use: appropriate amount, apply directly.
Morphological Characteristics of Sea Lion Oil
1. Spotted seal: The body is thick and strong, with males measuring 1.5-2m in length and weighing 150kg, and females measuring 1.4-1.6m in length and weighing 120kg.
The head is round with a short neck, wide and short snout, and long whiskers on the mouth, with 40-50 beads on each side. The teeth number 34. The eyes are large and round, without ear shells, and the nostrils and ears have valves that can open and close.
The front limbs are small, with the upper part hidden inside the body. Both the front and hind limbs have 5 toes, with claws at the tips and webs between the toes, forming flippers.
The first and fifth toes of the hind flippers are longer than the others, forming a fan shape, connected to the tail, and can only stretch backward, unable to bend and move forward from the ankle.
The tail is short and small, sandwiched between the hind flippers. The whole body is covered with short hair, with the back of the body being grayish-yellow or blue-gray-brown, with irregular blue-black and white spots of various sizes. The lower jaw is white without spots. The abdomen is milky yellow with few spots. As they age, the fur becomes lighter or almost white.
2. Harp seal: Males measure 1.6-1.9m in length and weigh 87-170kg; females measure 1.5-1.7m in length and weigh 60-142kg. The body has white-gray to dark brown or black patches, irregular spots, ring spots, and dirty spots, and the base color also varies. They have the characteristic of breeding on land.
Due to the confusion between harp seals and spotted seals in the past, both have been treated as independent species in recent years to distinguish them from other subspecies. This species is the most widely distributed among pinnipeds.
