Atlantic ghost cat shark vs Scaly Stalkball

Apristurus laurussonii compared with Tulostoma melanocyclum

Key Differences

• Atlantic ghost cat shark is Least Concern while Scaly Stalkball is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Atlantic ghost cat shark	Scaly Stalkball
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fish)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Carcharhiniformes (Ground Sharks)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Scyliorhinidae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Apristurus	Tulostoma
Species	Apristurus laurussonii	Tulostoma melanocyclum

Conservation Status

Atlantic ghost cat shark

LC — Least Concern

Scaly Stalkball

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Atlantic ghost cat shark	Scaly Stalkball
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

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.

Scaly Stalkball

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Currently classified as Critically Endangered 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.