Barley Covered Smut vs blue whale

Ustilago hordei compared with Balaenoptera musculus

Key Differences

• Barley Covered Smut is Not Evaluated while blue whale is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Barley Covered Smut	blue whale
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Ustilaginomycetes (Ustilaginomycetes)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Ustilaginales (Ustilaginales)	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)
Family	Ustilaginaceae	Balaenopteridae (Rorquals)
Genus	Ustilago	Balaenoptera (Rorquals)
Species	Ustilago hordei	Balaenoptera musculus

Conservation Status

Barley Covered Smut

NE — Not Evaluated

blue whale

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~15.0K

Trend: Increasing ↑

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Barley Covered Smut	blue whale
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	90 years
Average Length	—	30.0 m
Average Weight	—	150.0 t

Habitat & Geographic Range

Barley Covered Smut

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries).

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.

Barley Covered Smut

The Barley Covered Smut (Ustilago hordei) is a species in the genus Ustilago. Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden