Balloon shark vs Big-eared Flying Fox

Cephaloscyllium sarawakensis compared with Pteropus macrotis

Key Differences

• Balloon shark is Critically Endangered while Big-eared Flying Fox is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Balloon shark	Big-eared 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 sarawakensis	Pteropus macrotis

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Balloon shark

CR — Critically Endangered

Big-eared Flying Fox

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Balloon shark	Big-eared Flying Fox
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Balloon shark

Habitat

Inhabits tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests within the Indomalayan biogeographic realm.

Range

Found in Taiwan. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Big-eared Flying Fox

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Balloon shark

The Balloon shark (Cephaloscyllium sarawakensis) is a species in the genus Cephaloscyllium. It is currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Inhabits tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests within the Indomalayan biogeographic realm.

Big-eared Flying Fox

The Big-eared Flying Fox (Pteropus macrotis) is a species in the genus Pteropus. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.