Azorean Spleenwort vs blue whale

Asplenium azoricum compared with Balaenoptera musculus

Key Differences

Azorean Spleenwort is Least Concern while blue whale is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Azorean Spleenwort	blue whale
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Tracheophyta	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Polypodiopsida (Polypodiopsida)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Polypodiales (Polypodiales)	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)
Family	Aspleniaceae	Balaenopteridae (Rorquals)
Genus	Asplenium	Balaenoptera (Rorquals)
Species	Asplenium azoricum	Balaenoptera musculus

Conservation Status

Azorean Spleenwort

LC — Least Concern

blue whale

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~15.0K

Trend: Increasing ↑

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Azorean Spleenwort	blue whale
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	90 years
Average Length	—	30.0 m
Average Weight	—	150.0 t

Habitat & Geographic Range

Azorean Spleenwort

Habitat

Typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies.

Range

Found in Portugal.

blue whale

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. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (4 countries), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Azorean Spleenwort

The Azorean Spleenwort (Asplenium azoricum) is a species in the genus Asplenium. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies.

blue whale

The largest animal ever known to have lived on Earth, blue whales can reach 33 meters and 200 tonnes — their hearts alone weigh as much as a small car. Found in all oceans, they migrate between polar feeding grounds and tropical breeding areas. Filter feeders consuming up to 4 tonnes of krill daily. Endangered, with global populations estimated at 10,000–25,000 after near-extinction from 20th-century whaling.