Balloon shark vs Davison’s Mastiff Bat

Cephaloscyllium sarawakensis compared with Promops davisoni

Key Differences

• Balloon shark is Critically Endangered while Davison’s Mastiff Bat is Data Deficient.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Balloon shark	Davison’s Mastiff Bat
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	Molossidae
Genus	Cephaloscyllium	Promops
Species	Cephaloscyllium sarawakensis	Promops davisoni

Evolutionary Relationship

Balloon shark and Davison’s Mastiff Bat share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Balloon shark

CR — Critically Endangered

Davison’s Mastiff Bat

DD — Data Deficient

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Balloon shark	Davison’s Mastiff Bat
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.

Davison’s Mastiff Bat

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found in Ecuador.

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.