Balloon shark vs Speckled swellshark

Cephaloscyllium sarawakensis compared with Cephaloscyllium speccum

Key Differences

• Balloon shark is Critically Endangered while Speckled swellshark is Data Deficient.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Balloon shark	Speckled swellshark
Kingdom same	Animalia (Tier)	Animalia (Tier)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordatiere)	Chordata (Chordatiere)
Class same	Chondrichthyes (Knorpelfische)	Chondrichthyes (Knorpelfische)
Order same	Carcharhiniformes (Grundhaie)	Carcharhiniformes (Grundhaie)
Family same	Scyliorhinidae	Scyliorhinidae
Genus same	Cephaloscyllium	Cephaloscyllium
Species	Cephaloscyllium sarawakensis	Cephaloscyllium speccum

Evolutionary Relationship

Balloon shark and Speckled swellshark share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Cephaloscyllium.

Conservation Status

Balloon shark

CR — Critically Endangered

Speckled swellshark

DD — Data Deficient

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Balloon shark	Speckled swellshark
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Balloon shark

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.

Speckled swellshark

Habitat

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

Balloon shark

The Balloon shark (Cephaloscyllium sarawakensis) is a species in the genus Cephaloscyllium. It is currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Inhabits tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests within the Indomalayan biogeographic realm.