Broadmouth cat shark vs Clustered Domecap

Apristurus macrostomus compared with Lyophyllum decastes

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Broadmouth cat shark	Clustered Domecap
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fish)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Carcharhiniformes (Ground Sharks)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Scyliorhinidae	Lyophyllaceae
Genus	Apristurus	Lyophyllum
Species	Apristurus macrostomus	Lyophyllum decastes

Conservation Status

Broadmouth cat shark

LC — Least Concern

Clustered Domecap

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Broadmouth cat shark	Clustered Domecap
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Broadmouth cat shark

Habitat

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

Range

Found in Taiwan.

Clustered Domecap

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (5 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Brazil, Chile).

Broadmouth cat shark

The Broadmouth Cat Shark (Apristurus macrostomus) is a species in the genus Apristurus. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in marine environments from coastal waters to deep ocean.

Clustered Domecap

Lyophyllum decastes, the clustered domecap or fried chicken mushroom, is a robust saprotrophic or possibly mycorrhizal basidiomycete in the family Lyophyllaceae that produces large, densely clustered fruiting bodies at the base of dead hardwoods, stumps, or from buried wood and woody debris. The caps are grey-brown to tan, broadly convex to domed, often with wavy margins in crowded clusters. Gills are white to pallid, crowded, and sinuate. It is distributed across the northern hemisphere in broadleaf and mixed forests. L. decastes is edible and considered a choice food mushroom in parts of Europe and Japan, where its firm texture and mild flavor have earned it the English nickname 'fried chicken mushroom.' However, definitive identification requires care, as it can be confused with toxic lookalikes. Molecular studies have revealed that the concept of L. decastes may encompass multiple species or a species complex. The species is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN and is commonly encountered in autumn in temperate woodlands, parks, and roadsides across its wide range.