Barbelthroat carpet shark vs blue whale

Cirrhoscyllium expolitum compared with Balaenoptera musculus

Key Differences

• Barbelthroat carpet shark is Data Deficient while blue whale is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Barbelthroat carpet shark	blue whale
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Elasmobranchii	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Orectolobiformes (Orectolobiformes)	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)
Family	Parascylliidae	Balaenopteridae (Rorquals)
Genus	Cirrhoscyllium	Balaenoptera (Rorquals)
Species	Cirrhoscyllium expolitum	Balaenoptera musculus

Evolutionary Relationship

Barbelthroat carpet shark and blue whale share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Barbelthroat carpet shark

DD — Data Deficient

blue whale

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~15.0K

Trend: Increasing ↑

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Barbelthroat carpet shark	blue whale
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	90 years
Average Length	—	30.0 m
Average Weight	—	150.0 t

Habitat & Geographic Range

Barbelthroat carpet shark

blue whale

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 11 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (4 countries), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Barbelthroat carpet shark

The Barbelthroat carpet shark (Cirrhoscyllium expolitum) is a species in the genus Cirrhoscyllium. Its conservation status is listed as Data Deficient, indicating insufficient data for assessment.

blue whale

The largest animal ever known to have lived on Earth, blue whales can reach 33 meters and 200 tonnes — their hearts alone weigh as much as a small car. Found in all oceans, they migrate between polar feeding grounds and tropical breeding areas. Filter feeders consuming up to 4 tonnes of krill daily. Endangered, with global populations estimated at 10,000–25,000 after near-extinction from 20th-century whaling.