Anchovy-Eater vs Common Spreadwing

Carcharodon carcharias compared with Lestes sponsa

Key Differences

• Anchovy-Eater is Vulnerable while Common Spreadwing is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Anchovy-Eater	Common Spreadwing
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fish)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Lamniformes (Mackerel Sharks)	Odonata (Odonata)
Family	Lamnidae (Mackerel Sharks)	Lestidae
Genus	Carcharodon (Great White Sharks)	Lestes
Species	Carcharodon carcharias	Lestes sponsa

Evolutionary Relationship

Anchovy-Eater and Common Spreadwing share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Anchovy-Eater

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~3.5K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Common Spreadwing

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Anchovy-Eater	Common Spreadwing
Diet	Carnivore	—
Average Lifespan	70 years	—
Average Length	5.0 m	—
Average Weight	1.1 t	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Anchovy-Eater

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, and temperate grasslands and steppes, among 9 distinct biome types spanning the Indomalayan and Neotropic and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

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

Common Spreadwing

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden.

Anchovy-Eater

The largest predatory fish on Earth, great white sharks can reach 6 meters and 2,000 kg, inhabiting cool coastal and offshore waters in all major oceans. Apex predators employing ambush attacks from below, primarily on marine mammals, large fish, and seabirds. Despite their fearsome reputation, unprovoked attacks on humans are extremely rare. Vulnerable, with populations declining from finning, bycatch, and targeted fishing despite legal protections in many jurisdictions.

Common Spreadwing

Common Spreadwing (Lestes sponsa) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway