Australian swell shark vs Blauwal

Cephaloscyllium laticeps compared with Balaenoptera musculus

Key Differences

• Australian swell shark is Least Concern while Blauwal is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Australian swell shark	Blauwal
Kingdom same	Animalia (Tier)	Animalia (Tier)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordatiere)	Chordata (Chordatiere)
Class	Chondrichthyes (Knorpelfische)	Mammalia (Säugetiere)
Order	Carcharhiniformes (Grundhaie)	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)
Family	Scyliorhinidae	Balaenopteridae (Rorquals)
Genus	Cephaloscyllium	Balaenoptera (Rorquals)
Species	Cephaloscyllium laticeps	Balaenoptera musculus

Evolutionary Relationship

Australian swell shark and Blauwal share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordatiere)

Conservation Status

Australian swell shark

LC — Least Concern

Blauwal

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~15.0K

Trend: Increasing ↑

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Australian swell shark	Blauwal
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	90 years
Average Length	—	30.0 m
Average Weight	—	150.0 t

Habitat & Geographic Range

Australian swell shark

Habitat

Typically found in marine environments from coastal waters to deep ocean.

Blauwal

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 (4 countries), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Australian swell shark

The Australian swell shark (Cephaloscyllium laticeps) is a species in the genus Cephaloscyllium. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in marine environments from coastal waters to deep ocean.

Blauwal

The largest animal ever known to have lived on Earth, blue whales can reach 33 meters and 200 tonnes — their hearts alone weigh as much as a small car. Found in all oceans, they migrate between polar feeding grounds and tropical breeding areas. Filter feeders consuming up to 4 tonnes of krill daily. Endangered, with global populations estimated at 10,000–25,000 after near-extinction from 20th-century whaling.