Pinnipeds (from Latin pinna, wing or fin) or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals comprising the families Odobendidae (the walrus), Otariidae (eared seals, including sea lions and fur seals), and Phocidae (earless seals). Formerly classified as a separate biological suborder, Pinnipedia is now sometimes considered a superfamily within Caniformia, a suborder in the Carnivora order, now sometimes considered a superfamily within Caniformia, a suborder in the Carnivora order.
