Balloon shark vs Afrikanischer Löwe

Cephaloscyllium sufflans compared with Panthera leo

Key Differences

• Balloon shark is Near Threatened while Afrikanischer Löwe is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Balloon shark	Afrikanischer Löwe
Kingdom same	Animalia (Tier)	Animalia (Tier)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordatiere)	Chordata (Chordatiere)
Class	Chondrichthyes (Knorpelfische)	Mammalia (Säugetiere)
Order	Carcharhiniformes (Grundhaie)	Carnivora (Raubtiere)
Family	Scyliorhinidae	Felidae (Cats)
Genus	Cephaloscyllium	Panthera (Big Cats)
Species	Cephaloscyllium sufflans	Panthera leo

Evolutionary Relationship

Balloon shark and Afrikanischer Löwe share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordatiere)

Conservation Status

Balloon shark

NT — Near Threatened

Afrikanischer Löwe

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~23.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Balloon shark	Afrikanischer Löwe
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	15 years
Average Length	—	2.5 m
Average Weight	—	190.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Balloon shark

Habitat

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

Afrikanischer Löwe

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 7 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Neotropic and Oceanian realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

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

Balloon shark

The Balloon shark (Cephaloscyllium sufflans) is a species in the genus Cephaloscyllium. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in marine environments from coastal waters to deep ocean.

Afrikanischer Löwe

The largest wild cat in Africa, lions reach up to 250 kg and are the only social felids, living in prides across sub-Saharan savannas and grasslands. Males are distinguished by their iconic manes. As apex predators, they regulate herbivore populations and maintain ecosystem balance. Listed as Vulnerable due to habitat loss and human-wildlife conflict.