Ballena azul vs

Balaenoptera musculus compared with Coelosphaerium confertum

Key Differences

Ballena azul is Vulnerable while is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Ballena azul
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Bacteria (Bacteria)
Phylum	Chordata (cordados)	Cyanobacteria (Cyanobacteria)
Class	Mammalia (mamíferos)	Cyanobacteriia
Order	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)	Cyanobacteriales
Family	Balaenopteridae (Rorquals)	Microcystaceae
Genus	Balaenoptera (Rorquals)	Coelosphaerium
Species	Balaenoptera musculus	Coelosphaerium confertum

Conservation Status

Ballena azul

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~15.0K

Trend: Increasing ↑

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Ballena azul
Diet	Carnivore	—
Average Lifespan	90 years	—
Average Length	30.0 m	—
Average Weight	150.0 t	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Ballena azul

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.

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found in Denmark.

Ballena azul

El animal más grande que se conoce haya vivido en la Tierra; las ballenas azules pueden alcanzar 33 metros y 200 toneladas — sus corazones solos pesan tanto como un automóvil pequeño. Se encuentran en todos los océanos y migran entre las zonas de alimentación polares y las áreas de reproducción tropicales. Son filtradoras que consumen hasta 4 toneladas de kril al día. En peligro de extinción, con poblaciones globales estimadas entre 10.000 y 25.000 tras casi extinguirse por la caza de ballenas en el siglo XX.

Coelosphaerium confertum is a colonial planktonic cyanobacterium in the family Merismopediaceae, distinguished from related species by the relatively compact arrangement of cells within its gelatinous colonial matrix. Like other Coelosphaerium species, it forms roughly spherical mucilaginous colonies in which cells are positioned near the colony periphery. The genus belongs to the order Chroococcales and is characteristic of temperate freshwater habitats including lakes, ponds, and slow-moving rivers with moderate to high nutrient levels. Coelosphaerium confertum has been recorded from freshwater bodies in Denmark and other northern European countries, where it occurs as part of the phytoplankton assemblage during summer and early autumn months when temperatures are sufficient to sustain its growth. Cyanobacteria of this type are primary producers that fix atmospheric carbon and contribute to the base of aquatic food webs, supporting zooplankton and higher trophic levels. Under conditions of elevated phosphorus and nitrogen from agricultural runoff and wastewater, bloom-forming cyanobacteria can proliferate and alter the ecological character of water bodies. While Coelosphaerium confertum is not typically identified as a toxic bloom-former, its ecological role in nutrient cycling and as part of broader cyanobacterial assemblages is significant. No formal IUCN evaluation has been conducted.