Atlantic Gray Seal vs St. James' shell

Halichoerus grypus compared with Pecten maximus

Key Differences

• Atlantic Gray Seal is Vulnerable while St. James' shell is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Atlantic Gray Seal	St. James' shell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Mollusca (Mollusks)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Bivalvia (Bivalvia)
Order	Pinnipedia (Seals & Sea Lions)	Pectinida (Pectinida)
Family	Phocidae (True Seals)	Pectinidae
Genus	Halichoerus	Pecten
Species	Halichoerus grypus	Pecten maximus

Evolutionary Relationship

Atlantic Gray Seal and St. James' shell share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Atlantic Gray Seal

VU — Vulnerable

St. James' shell

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Atlantic Gray Seal	St. James' shell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Atlantic Gray Seal

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

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

St. James' shell

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (China), Europe (8 countries), and South America (Chile).

Atlantic Gray Seal

The Atlantic Gray Seal (Halichoerus grypus) is a species in the genus Halichoerus. It is currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

St. James' shell

St. James' shell (Pecten maximus) 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 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden