Balloon shark vs Lesser Sac-winged Bat

Cephaloscyllium sarawakensis compared with Saccopteryx leptura

Key Differences

• Balloon shark is Critically Endangered while Lesser Sac-winged Bat is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Balloon shark	Lesser Sac-winged 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	Emballonuridae
Genus	Cephaloscyllium	Saccopteryx
Species	Cephaloscyllium sarawakensis	Saccopteryx leptura

Evolutionary Relationship

Balloon shark and Lesser Sac-winged Bat share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Balloon shark

CR — Critically Endangered

Lesser Sac-winged Bat

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Balloon shark	Lesser Sac-winged 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.

Lesser Sac-winged Bat

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela.

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.