Hooded seal vs spotted ray

Cystophora cristata compared with Raja montagui

Key Differences

• Hooded seal is Endangered while spotted ray is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Hooded seal	spotted ray
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Elasmobranchii
Order	Pinnipedia (Seals & Sea Lions)	Rajiformes (Rajiformes)
Family	Phocidae (True Seals)	Rajidae
Genus	Cystophora	Raja
Species	Cystophora cristata	Raja montagui

Evolutionary Relationship

Hooded seal and spotted ray share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Hooded seal

EN — Endangered

spotted ray

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Hooded seal	spotted ray
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Hooded seal

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

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

spotted ray

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway