Buckelwal vs common intertidal amphipod

Megaptera novaeangliae compared with Gammarus locusta

Key Differences

• Buckelwal is Vulnerable while common intertidal amphipod is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Buckelwal	common intertidal amphipod
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Malacostraca (Crustaceans)
Order	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)	Amphipoda (Amphipoda)
Family	Balaenopteridae (Rorquals)	Gammaridae
Genus	Megaptera (Humpback Whales)	Gammarus
Species	Megaptera novaeangliae	Gammarus locusta

Evolutionary Relationship

Buckelwal and common intertidal amphipod share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Buckelwal

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~80.0K

Trend: Increasing ↑

common intertidal amphipod

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Buckelwal	common intertidal amphipod
Diet	Carnivore	—
Average Lifespan	50 years	—
Average Length	15.0 m	—
Average Weight	30.0 t	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

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.

common intertidal amphipod

Habitat

Typically found in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden.

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.

common intertidal amphipod

<em>Gammarus locusta</em>, commonly known as the common intertidal amphipod, is a crustacean in the family Gammaridae. Its conservation status has not been formally evaluated by the IUCN. The species is recorded from Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden, indicating a distribution along the northeastern Atlantic coast of Europe. It typically inhabits intertidal and shallow subtidal marine and estuarine environments, where it is found among algae, under rocks, and in sediments. Gammarus amphipods are ecologically important as detritivores and as prey for shorebirds, fish, and other invertebrates in coastal food webs. Diet information for this species is not available in current records. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden