The sea mink produced a distinctive fishy odor, and had fur that was said to be coarser and redder than that of the American mink.[1][2][3] It is thought that naturalist Joseph Banks encountered this animal in 1776 in the Strait of Belle Isle, and he described it as being slightly larger than a fox, having long legs, and a tail that was long and tapered towards the end, similar to a greyhound.[4]