Big eye chimaera vs blue whale

Hydrolagus macrophthalmus compared with Balaenoptera musculus

Key Differences

• Big eye chimaera is Least Concern while blue whale is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Big eye chimaera	blue whale
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Holocephali (Holocephali)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Chimaeriformes (Chimaeriformes)	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)
Family	Chimaeridae	Balaenopteridae (Rorquals)
Genus	Hydrolagus	Balaenoptera (Rorquals)
Species	Hydrolagus macrophthalmus	Balaenoptera musculus

Evolutionary Relationship

Big eye chimaera and blue whale share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Big eye chimaera

LC — Least Concern

blue whale

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~15.0K

Trend: Increasing ↑

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Big eye chimaera	blue whale
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	90 years
Average Length	—	30.0 m
Average Weight	—	150.0 t

Habitat & Geographic Range

Big eye chimaera

Habitat

Native to South America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found in Chile.

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.

Big eye chimaera

The Big eye chimaera (Hydrolagus macrophthalmus) is a species in the genus Hydrolagus. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Native to South America, 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.