Big Finner vs Common Darter

Balaenoptera physalus compared with Sympetrum striolatum

Key Differences

• Big Finner is Endangered while Common Darter is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Big Finner	Common Darter
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)	Odonata (Odonata)
Family	Balaenopteridae (Rorquals)	Libellulidae
Genus	Balaenoptera (Rorquals)	Sympetrum
Species	Balaenoptera physalus	Sympetrum striolatum

Evolutionary Relationship

Big Finner and Common Darter share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Big Finner

EN — Endangered

Common Darter

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Big Finner	Common Darter
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.

Common Darter

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden.

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.

Common Darter

Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden