Hooded seal vs St. James' shell

Cystophora cristata compared with Pecten maximus

Key Differences

• Hooded seal is Endangered while St. James' shell is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Hooded seal	St. James' shell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Mollusca (Mollusks)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Bivalvia (Bivalvia)
Order	Pinnipedia (Seals & Sea Lions)	Pectinida (Pectinida)
Family	Phocidae (True Seals)	Pectinidae
Genus	Cystophora	Pecten
Species	Cystophora cristata	Pecten maximus

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Hooded seal

EN — Endangered

St. James' shell

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Hooded seal	St. James' shell
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.

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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal