Brown lantern shark vs Buckelwal

Etmopterus unicolor compared with Megaptera novaeangliae

Key Differences

Brown lantern shark is Data Deficient while Buckelwal is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Brown lantern shark	Buckelwal
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Elasmobranchii	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Squaliformes (Squaliformes)	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)
Family	Etmopteridae	Balaenopteridae (Rorquals)
Genus	Etmopterus	Megaptera (Humpback Whales)
Species	Etmopterus unicolor	Megaptera novaeangliae

Evolutionary Relationship

Brown lantern shark and Buckelwal share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

View Phylum: Chordata

Conservation Status

Brown lantern shark

DD — Data Deficient

Buckelwal

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~80.0K

Trend: Increasing ↑

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Brown lantern shark	Buckelwal
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	50 years
Average Length	—	15.0 m
Average Weight	—	30.0 t

Habitat & Geographic Range

Brown lantern shark

Habitat

Native to South America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found in Chile.

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.

Brown lantern shark

The Brown Lantern Shark (Etmopterus unicolor) is a species in the genus Etmopterus. It is currently classified as Data Deficient on the IUCN Red List. Native to South America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

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.