harbor seal; common seal
Refers to the species Phoca vitulina. The name literally means 'coin-shaped seal', from the pattern on its coat.
Harbor seals can sometimes be seen along the coast of Hokkaido.
Katakana spelling is standard for this animal name; usually written in kana.
Kanji spelling is rare and mostly encountered in older or specialized texts; the katakana form is strongly preferred.
Compound of 銭形 (zeni-gata, 'coin-shaped') and 海豹 (azarashi, 'seal'), referring to the spotted pattern on the seal's coat.