Graue Meersau vs Buckelwal

Oxynotus paradoxus compared with Megaptera novaeangliae

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Graue Meersau	Buckelwal
Kingdom same	Animalia (Tier)	Animalia (Tier)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordatiere)	Chordata (Chordatiere)
Class	Elasmobranchii	Mammalia (Säugetiere)
Order	Squaliformes (Dornhaiartige)	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)
Family	Oxynotidae	Balaenopteridae (Rorquals)
Genus	Oxynotus	Megaptera (Humpback Whales)
Species	Oxynotus paradoxus	Megaptera novaeangliae

Evolutionary Relationship

Graue Meersau and Buckelwal share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordatiere)

Conservation Status

Graue Meersau

VU — Vulnerable

Buckelwal

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~80.0K

Trend: Increasing ↑

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Graue Meersau	Buckelwal
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	50 years
Average Length	—	15.0 m
Average Weight	—	30.0 t

Habitat & Geographic Range

Graue Meersau

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

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

Buckelwal

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 11 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (5 countries), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Graue Meersau

The Angular rough shark (Oxynotus paradoxus) is a species in the genus Oxynotus. It is currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Buckelwal

Among the most acrobatic of the great whales, humpback whales are renowned for their complex, haunting songs sung by males during breeding season — some lasting hours and evolving over time. Reaching 16 meters and 30 tonnes, they undertake the longest migrations of any mammal. Found in all oceans, humpbacks feed on krill and small fish using cooperative bubble-net feeding. Populations have largely recovered from historic whaling.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal