Balloon shark vs Gray-headed Flying Fox

Cephaloscyllium sufflans compared with Pteropus poliocephalus

Key Differences

• Balloon shark is Near Threatened while Gray-headed Flying Fox is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Balloon shark	Gray-headed 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	Cephaloscyllium	Pteropus (Flying Foxes)
Species	Cephaloscyllium sufflans	Pteropus poliocephalus

Evolutionary Relationship

Balloon shark and Gray-headed Flying Fox share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Balloon shark

NT — Near Threatened

Gray-headed Flying Fox

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Balloon shark	Gray-headed Flying Fox
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Balloon shark

Habitat

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

Gray-headed Flying Fox

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Balloon shark

The Balloon shark (Cephaloscyllium sufflans) is a species in the genus Cephaloscyllium. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in marine environments from coastal waters to deep ocean.