baleine à bosse vs cocquille Saint-Jacques

Megaptera novaeangliae compared with Pecten maximus

Key Differences

• baleine à bosse is Vulnerable while cocquille Saint-Jacques is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	baleine à bosse	cocquille Saint-Jacques
Kingdom same	Animalia (animal)	Animalia (animal)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Mollusca (mollusques)
Class	Mammalia (mammifères)	Bivalvia (Bivalvia)
Order	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)	Pectinida (Pectinida)
Family	Balaenopteridae (Rorquals)	Pectinidae
Genus	Megaptera (Humpback Whales)	Pecten
Species	Megaptera novaeangliae	Pecten maximus

Evolutionary Relationship

baleine à bosse and cocquille Saint-Jacques share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (animal)

Conservation Status

baleine à bosse

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~80.0K

Trend: Increasing ↑

cocquille Saint-Jacques

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	baleine à bosse	cocquille Saint-Jacques
Diet	Carnivore	—
Average Lifespan	50 years	—
Average Length	15.0 m	—
Average Weight	30.0 t	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

baleine à bosse

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.

cocquille Saint-Jacques

Habitat

Native to Asia and Europe and South America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (China), Europe (8 countries), and South America (Chile).

baleine à bosse

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.

cocquille Saint-Jacques

St. James' shell (Pecten maximus) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden