Hohojirozame vs Clover Dodder

Carcharodon carcharias compared with Cuscuta epithymum

Key Differences

Hohojirozame is Vulnerable while Clover Dodder is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Hohojirozame	Clover Dodder
Kingdom	Animalia (動物)	Plantae (植物)
Phylum	Chordata (脊索動物)	Magnoliophyta (被子植物門)
Class	Chondrichthyes (軟骨魚綱)	Magnoliopsida (モクレン綱)
Order	Lamniformes (ネズミザメ目)	Solanales (ナス目)
Family	Lamnidae (Mackerel Sharks)	Convolvulaceae
Genus	Carcharodon (Great White Sharks)	Cuscuta
Species	Carcharodon carcharias	Cuscuta epithymum

Conservation Status

Hohojirozame

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~3.5K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Clover Dodder

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Hohojirozame	Clover Dodder
Diet	Carnivore	—
Average Lifespan	70 years	—
Average Length	5.0 m	—
Average Weight	1.1 t	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Hohojirozame

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, and temperate grasslands and steppes, among 9 distinct biome types spanning the Indomalayan and Neotropic and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Chile, Norway, Portugal, and Taiwan. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Clover Dodder

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, montane grasslands and shrublands, and Mediterranean forests and woodlands, among 8 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Neotropic and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (South Africa), Europe (9 countries), North America (Canada, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (Argentina, Venezuela). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Hohojirozame

地球上で最大の捕食性魚類であるホホジロザメは、全世界の主要な大洋の冷涼な沿岸・外洋域に生息し、体長6メートル、体重2,000キログラムに達することがあります。海洋哺乳類、大型魚類、海鳥を主な獲物として下方からの待ち伏せ攻撃を行う最上位捕食者です。その恐ろしい評判にもかかわらず、人間への非挑発的な攻撃は極めてまれです。フカヒレ採取、混獲、目的的漁獲によって個体数が減少しており、多くの地域で法的保護を受けているにもかかわらず危急（VU）に分類されています。

Clover Dodder

Clover dodder (Cuscuta epithymum) is a parasitic flowering plant in the family Convolvulaceae, a leafless, twining vine that obtains all its water and nutrients from host plants via haustoria — specialized penetrating organs that connect to host vascular tissue. The species is almost entirely dependent on its hosts throughout its life, with only brief photosynthetic activity during germination before establishing parasitic connections. C. epithymum parasitizes a wide range of host species including clover (Trifolium), gorse (Ulex), heathers (Erica, Calluna), thyme (Thymus), and other plants in open heathland, grassland, and scrub habitats. The stems are thread-like, yellowish-pink or reddish, and support clusters of small white to pale pink flowers. Originally widespread across Europe, Asia, North Africa, and the Americas, the species has declined significantly in many parts of its range due to agricultural intensification, herbicide application, grassland conversion, and loss of semi-natural heathlands. It is currently listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, reflecting population decline across its European core range. Conservation of C. epithymum requires the maintenance of unimproved, low-nutrient grasslands and heathlands that support its diverse host plant communities. The species is recorded from Africa, Europe, North America, Oceania, and South America, though populations in some regions represent introductions associated with contaminated legume seed lots.