Broadnose cat shark vs Common Bladderwort

Apristurus investigatoris compared with Utricularia vulgaris

Key Differences

• Broadnose cat shark is Least Concern while Common Bladderwort is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Broadnose cat shark	Common Bladderwort
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fish)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Carcharhiniformes (Ground Sharks)	Lamiales (Lamiales)
Family	Scyliorhinidae	Lentibulariaceae
Genus	Apristurus	Utricularia
Species	Apristurus investigatoris	Utricularia vulgaris

Conservation Status

Broadnose cat shark

LC — Least Concern

Common Bladderwort

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Broadnose cat shark	Common Bladderwort
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Broadnose cat shark

Habitat

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

Common Bladderwort

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Broadnose cat shark

The Broadnose Cat Shark (Apristurus investigatoris) 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.

Common Bladderwort

The common bladderwort (<em>Utricularia vulgaris</em>) is a carnivorous aquatic plant belonging to the family Lentibulariaceae. It is classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, reflecting population declines linked to habitat loss and water quality degradation. The species has been recorded across diverse terrestrial tropical to temperate habitats in Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and the United States. <em>Utricularia vulgaris</em> is typically found in slow-moving or still freshwater bodies such as ponds, lakes, ditches, and marshes. It is rootless and free-floating, with finely divided submerged stems bearing numerous small bladder-like traps that capture zooplankton, small aquatic invertebrates, and even mosquito larvae through a rapid suction mechanism. The plant produces yellow snapdragon-like flowers on emergent stems above the water surface during summer. Its carnivorous strategy allows it to supplement nutrients in nutrient-poor aquatic environments. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.