Giant Otter vs St. James' shell

Pteronura brasiliensis compared with Pecten maximus

Key Differences

• Giant Otter is Endangered while St. James' shell is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Giant Otter	St. James' shell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Mollusca (Mollusks)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Bivalvia (Bivalvia)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Pectinida (Pectinida)
Family	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)	Pectinidae
Genus	Pteronura	Pecten
Species	Pteronura brasiliensis	Pecten maximus

Evolutionary Relationship

Giant Otter and St. James' shell share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Giant Otter

EN — Endangered

St. James' shell

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Giant Otter	St. James' shell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Giant Otter

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Colombia and Venezuela. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

St. James' shell

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (China), Europe (8 countries), and South America (Chile).

St. James' shell

St. James' shell (Pecten maximus) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.