Atlantic ghost cat shark vs Clouded Leopard

Apristurus laurussonii compared with Neofelis nebulosa

Key Differences

• Atlantic ghost cat shark is Least Concern while Clouded Leopard is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Atlantic ghost cat shark	Clouded Leopard
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fish)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Carcharhiniformes (Ground Sharks)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Scyliorhinidae	Felidae (Cats)
Genus	Apristurus	Neofelis (Clouded Leopards)
Species	Apristurus laurussonii	Neofelis nebulosa

Evolutionary Relationship

Atlantic ghost cat shark and Clouded Leopard share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Atlantic ghost cat shark

LC — Least Concern

Clouded Leopard

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~10.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Atlantic ghost cat shark	Clouded Leopard
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	15 years
Average Length	—	1.0 m
Average Weight	—	20.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Atlantic ghost cat shark

Habitat

Typically found in marine environments from coastal waters to deep ocean.

Range

Distributed across Portugal and Venezuela.

Clouded Leopard

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 spanning the Australasia and Indomalayan and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Atlantic ghost cat shark

The Atlantic ghost cat shark (Apristurus laurussonii) is a species in the genus Apristurus. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in marine environments from coastal waters to deep ocean.

Clouded Leopard

A medium-sized wild cat weighing up to 26 kg, clouded leopards inhabit tropical and subtropical forests from the eastern Himalayas through Southeast Asia to Borneo. Named for their distinctive cloud-like coat markings, they possess the longest canine teeth relative to skull size of any wild cat and are exceptional climbers able to descend trees headfirst. Vulnerable due to deforestation, though the total population remains poorly known.