Hector’s Beaked Whale vs St. James' shell

Mesoplodon hectori compared with Pecten maximus

Key Differences

• Hector’s Beaked Whale is Data Deficient while St. James' shell is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Hector’s Beaked Whale	St. James' shell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Mollusca (Mollusks)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Bivalvia (Bivalvia)
Order	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)	Pectinida (Pectinida)
Family	Hyperoodontidae	Pectinidae
Genus	Mesoplodon	Pecten
Species	Mesoplodon hectori	Pecten maximus

Evolutionary Relationship

Hector’s Beaked Whale and St. James' shell share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Hector’s Beaked Whale

DD — Data Deficient

St. James' shell

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Hector’s Beaked Whale	St. James' shell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Hector’s Beaked Whale

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

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.