Black-tip shark vs Buckelwal

Carcharhinus sorrah compared with Megaptera novaeangliae

Key Differences

• Black-tip shark is Near Threatened while Buckelwal is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Black-tip shark	Buckelwal
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fish)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Carcharhiniformes (Ground Sharks)	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)
Family	Carcharhinidae	Balaenopteridae (Rorquals)
Genus	Carcharhinus	Megaptera (Humpback Whales)
Species	Carcharhinus sorrah	Megaptera novaeangliae

Evolutionary Relationship

Black-tip shark and Buckelwal share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Black-tip shark

NT — Near Threatened

Buckelwal

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~80.0K

Trend: Increasing ↑

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Black-tip shark	Buckelwal
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	50 years
Average Length	—	15.0 m
Average Weight	—	30.0 t

Habitat & Geographic Range

Black-tip shark

Habitat

Typically found in marine environments from coastal waters to deep ocean.

Range

Found in Taiwan. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Buckelwal

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

Black-tip shark

The Black-tip shark (Carcharhinus sorrah) is a species in the genus Carcharhinus. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Found in Taiwan. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Buckelwal

Among the most acrobatic of the great whales, humpback whales are renowned for their complex, haunting songs sung by males during breeding season — some lasting hours and evolving over time. Reaching 16 meters and 30 tonnes, they undertake the longest migrations of any mammal. Found in all oceans, humpbacks feed on krill and small fish using cooperative bubble-net feeding. Populations have largely recovered from historic whaling.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇹🇼 Taiwan