Balloon shark vs Big-eared opossum

Cephaloscyllium sarawakensis compared with Didelphis aurita

Key Differences

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

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Balloon shark	Big-eared opossum
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fish)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Carcharhiniformes (Ground Sharks)	Didelphimorphia (Didelphimorphia)
Family	Scyliorhinidae	Didelphidae
Genus	Cephaloscyllium	Didelphis
Species	Cephaloscyllium sarawakensis	Didelphis aurita

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Balloon shark

CR — Critically Endangered

Big-eared opossum

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Balloon shark	Big-eared opossum
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 opossum

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 opossum

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