Leopard-spotted swellshark vs small tortoiseshell

Cephaloscyllium fasciatum compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Leopard-spotted swellshark is Critically Endangered while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Leopard-spotted swellshark	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fish)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Carcharhiniformes (Ground Sharks)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Scyliorhinidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Cephaloscyllium	Aglais
Species	Cephaloscyllium fasciatum	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Leopard-spotted swellshark and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Leopard-spotted swellshark

CR — Critically Endangered

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Leopard-spotted swellshark	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Leopard-spotted swellshark

Habitat

Inhabits tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests within the Indomalayan biogeographic realm.

Range

Found in Taiwan. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

small tortoiseshell

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (41 countries). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

small tortoiseshell

small tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List. Close to qualifying as threatened, with populations that may become vulnerable without conservation action.