Fly Agaric vs Saddled catshark

Amanita muscaria compared with Asymbolus submaculatus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Fly Agaric	Saddled catshark
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fish)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Carcharhiniformes (Ground Sharks)
Family	Agaricaceae (Agarics)	Scyliorhinidae
Genus	Amanita (Amanitas)	Asymbolus
Species	Amanita muscaria	Asymbolus submaculatus

Conservation Status

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Saddled catshark

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Fly Agaric	Saddled catshark
Diet	Decomposer	—
Average Lifespan	1 years	—
Average Length	20 cm	—
Average Weight	100 g	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Fly Agaric

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), Oceania and the Pacific (New Zealand), and South America (Brazil, Chile, Colombia).

Saddled catshark

Habitat

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

Fly Agaric

Among the most iconic and recognizable fungi on Earth, fly agaric mushrooms display striking red caps with white flecked warts across boreal forests of the Northern Hemisphere. Despite their fairy-tale appearance, they contain potent psychoactive compounds including muscimol and ibotenic acid and are moderately toxic. They form critical mycorrhizal symbioses with birch, pine, and spruce trees, exchanging mineral nutrients for carbon and playing essential roles in boreal forest nutrient cycling.