Sealing rubber composition and seal member

A sealing rubber composition for forming a sliding surface of a seal member for sliding against another member, comprising:

• 100 parts by mass of a carboxylated acrylic rubber;
• 5 to 40 parts by mass of an artificial graphite formed by firing a coke and graphitizing the coke at a temperature of 2500° C. or higher, the artificial graphite being in the form of particles having an average overall particle size of 5 μm to 50 μm;
• and
• 0.5 to 5 parts by mass of an epoxy silane coupling agent for aiding in bonding the acrylic rubber to the artificial graphite particles,
• wherein the artificial graphite particles form friction reducing protrusions for protruding from the sliding surface of the seal member and for contacting the another member.