Big Finner vs

Balaenoptera physalus compared with Clostridium carnis

Key Differences

Big Finner is Endangered while is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Big Finner
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Bacteria (Bacteria)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Firmicutes_A
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Clostridia (Clostridia)
Order	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)	Clostridiales (Clostridiales)
Family	Balaenopteridae (Rorquals)	Clostridiaceae
Genus	Balaenoptera (Rorquals)	Clostridium
Species	Balaenoptera physalus	Clostridium carnis

Conservation Status

Big Finner

EN — Endangered

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Big Finner
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Big Finner

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, flooded grasslands and savannas, and montane grasslands and shrublands, among 4 distinct biome types within the Neotropic biogeographic realm.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (5 countries), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Habitat

Native to Asia, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found in Taiwan.

Big Finner

Big Finner (Balaenoptera physalus) is classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List. At high risk of extinction in the wild, with significant population decline and ongoing threats to survival.

Clostridium carnis is an anaerobic, endospore-forming bacterium in the family Clostridiaceae typically isolated from meat (caro/carnis, Latin for meat) and animal tissues, as well as soil and sediments. Like other clostridia, it is a strictly anaerobic, Gram-positive rod that survives adverse conditions by forming heat-resistant endospores. C. carnis is associated with putrefaction processes in proteinaceous substrates, producing proteolytic enzymes that break down meat proteins, contributing to gas gangrene and tissue necrosis in infected wounds under anaerobic conditions. It is considered one of the histotoxic clostridia capable of causing wound infections in humans and animals, though it is less clinically significant than C. perfringens or C. septicum. Isolated from soil, intestinal contents, and meat products, C. carnis contributes to anaerobic decomposition of organic nitrogen compounds, releasing ammonia and simpler organic acids back into the environment. Its resistance to environmental conditions through sporulation makes it persistent in soil environments associated with animal husbandry and meat processing facilities.