Alfred manta vs Buckelwal

Mobula alfredi compared with Megaptera novaeangliae

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Alfred manta	Buckelwal
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Elasmobranchii	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Myliobatiformes (Myliobatiformes)	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)
Family	Myliobatidae	Balaenopteridae (Rorquals)
Genus	Mobula	Megaptera (Humpback Whales)
Species	Mobula alfredi	Megaptera novaeangliae

Evolutionary Relationship

Alfred manta and Buckelwal share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Alfred manta

VU — Vulnerable

Buckelwal

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~80.0K

Trend: Increasing ↑

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Alfred manta	Buckelwal
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	50 years
Average Length	—	15.0 m
Average Weight	—	30.0 t

Habitat & Geographic Range

Alfred manta

Habitat

Native to Asia and Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Norway and Taiwan. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Buckelwal

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 11 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (5 countries), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Alfred manta

The Alfred manta (Mobula alfredi) is a species in the genus Mobula. It is currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Native to Asia and Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Buckelwal

Among the most acrobatic of the great whales, humpback whales are renowned for their complex, haunting songs sung by males during breeding season — some lasting hours and evolving over time. Reaching 16 meters and 30 tonnes, they undertake the longest migrations of any mammal. Found in all oceans, humpbacks feed on krill and small fish using cooperative bubble-net feeding. Populations have largely recovered from historic whaling.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇹🇼 Taiwan