Clouded Agaric vs Common Seahorse

Clitocybe nebularis compared with Hippocampus kuda

Key Differences

Clouded Agaric is Least Concern while Common Seahorse is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Clouded Agaric	Common Seahorse
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fish)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Perciformes (Perch-like Fish)
Family	Tricholomataceae	Pomacentridae (Clownfish & Damselfish)
Genus	Clitocybe	Amphiprion (Clownfish)
Species	Clitocybe nebularis	Hippocampus kuda

Conservation Status

Clouded Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Common Seahorse

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Clouded Agaric	Common Seahorse
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	5 years
Average Length	—	17 cm
Average Weight	—	10 g

Habitat & Geographic Range

Clouded Agaric

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Taiwan, and United States.

Common Seahorse

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 7 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, and Philippines. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Clouded Agaric

The clouded agaric (Clitocybe nebularis, syn. Lepista nebularis) is a large, robust saprotrophic mushroom in the family Tricholomataceae found across temperate broadleaved and mixed forests of Europe and North America. It produces pale grey to buff fruiting bodies with broad, wavy caps up to 20 cm diameter, crowded, slightly decurrent gills, and a stout stipe, typically emerging in large fairy rings or scattered groups in autumn woodland settings. The common name 'clouded' refers to the greyish, misty coloration of the cap surface. Though historically eaten in parts of Europe and considered edible when thoroughly cooked, C. nebularis is now known to contain toxic compounds and a heat-labile gastrointestinal toxin that causes illness in some individuals, and it is associated with documented poisoning cases. Its strong mealy odor is distinctive. The species is widespread and common across European deciduous forests, fruiting reliably in autumn and forming an important component of the saprotrophic fungal community responsible for decomposing accumulated leaf litter and organic matter in temperate forest ecosystems.