6-gilled shark vs blue whale

Hexanchus griseus compared with Balaenoptera musculus

Key Differences

• 6-gilled shark is Not Evaluated while blue whale is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	6-gilled shark	blue whale
Kingdom same	Animalia (प्राणी)	Animalia (प्राणी)
Phylum same	Chordata (रज्जुकी)	Chordata (रज्जुकी)
Class	Elasmobranchii	Mammalia (स्तनधारी)
Order	Hexanchiformes (Hexanchiformes)	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)
Family	Hexanchidae	Balaenopteridae (Rorquals)
Genus	Hexanchus	Balaenoptera (Rorquals)
Species	Hexanchus griseus	Balaenoptera musculus

Evolutionary Relationship

6-gilled shark and blue whale share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (रज्जुकी)

Conservation Status

6-gilled shark

NE — Not Evaluated

blue whale

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~15.0K

Trend: Increasing ↑

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	6-gilled shark	blue whale
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	90 years
Average Length	—	30.0 m
Average Weight	—	150.0 t

Habitat & Geographic Range

6-gilled shark

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (4 countries), and South America (Chile, Venezuela).

blue whale

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.

6-gilled shark

The 6-gilled shark (Hexanchus griseus) is a species in the genus Hexanchus. It is not yet evaluated on the IUCN Red List. It is found across Chile, Denmark, Norway, and 2 other countries, inhabiting Native to Asia and Europe and South America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

blue whale

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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 5 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇹🇼 Taiwan