Atlantic ghost cat shark vs large flying fox

Apristurus laurussonii compared with Pteropus vampyrus

Key Differences

• Atlantic ghost cat shark is Least Concern while large flying fox is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Atlantic ghost cat shark	large flying fox
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fish)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Carcharhiniformes (Ground Sharks)	Chiroptera (Bats)
Family	Scyliorhinidae	Pteropodidae (Fruit Bats)
Genus	Apristurus	Pteropus (Flying Foxes)
Species	Apristurus laurussonii	Pteropus vampyrus

Evolutionary Relationship

Atlantic ghost cat shark and large flying fox share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Atlantic ghost cat shark

LC — Least Concern

large flying fox

NT — Near Threatened

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Atlantic ghost cat shark	large flying fox
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	15 years
Average Length	—	30 cm
Average Weight	—	1.1 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.

large flying fox

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 6 distinct biome types spanning the Australasia and Indomalayan realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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.

large flying fox

The world's largest bat species, large flying foxes have wingspans reaching 1.5 meters and inhabit tropical forests from Southeast Asia to the Philippines and Indonesia. Despite the alarming name, they feed exclusively on fruit and nectar, making them vital pollinators and seed dispersers for tropical forest trees. Roost in massive colonies of thousands. Listed as Vulnerable due to hunting for bushmeat and habitat destruction.