Basking shark vs small tortoiseshell

Rhincodon typus compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Basking shark is Endangered while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Basking shark	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fish)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Lamniformes (Mackerel Sharks)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Rhincodontidae (Whale Sharks)	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Rhincodon (Whale Sharks)	Aglais
Species	Rhincodon typus	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Basking shark and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Basking shark

EN — Endangered

Trend: Decreasing ↓

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Basking shark	small tortoiseshell
Diet	Omnivore	—
Average Lifespan	100 years	—
Average Length	12.0 m	—
Average Weight	20.0 t	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Basking shark

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate grasslands and steppes, and montane grasslands and shrublands, among 5 distinct biome types within the Neotropic biogeographic realm.

Range

Distributed across Chile, Portugal, Taiwan, and Venezuela. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

small tortoiseshell

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (41 countries). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Basking shark

The world's largest fish, whale sharks can exceed 12 meters and 20 tonnes, inhabiting tropical and warm temperate oceans worldwide. Despite their massive size, they are harmless filter feeders, consuming plankton, fish eggs, and small fish by swimming open-mouthed through prey-dense water. They undertake vast seasonal migrations following plankton blooms. Endangered due to fishing, boat strikes, and the live fin trade, with population declining by approximately 50% over the past 75 years.

small tortoiseshell

small tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List. Close to qualifying as threatened, with populations that may become vulnerable without conservation action.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇵🇹 Portugal