Cat vs

Felis catus compared with Cocconeis placentula

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cat
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Chromista (Chromista)
Phylum	Chordata (cordados)	Ochrophyta (Ochrophyta)
Class	Mammalia (mamíferos)	Bacillariophyceae (Bacillariophyceae)
Order	Carnivora (carnívoros)	Achnanthales (Achnanthales)
Family	Felidae (Cats)	Cocconeidaceae
Genus	Felis (Small Cats)	Cocconeis
Species	Felis catus	Cocconeis placentula

Conservation Status

Cat

NE — Not Evaluated

Trend: Stable →

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cat
Diet	Carnivore	—
Average Lifespan	15 years	—
Average Length	46 cm	—
Average Weight	4.5 kg	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cat

Habitat

Inhabits deserts and xeric shrublands within the Afrotropic biogeographic realm.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (9 countries), Asia (7 countries), Europe (11 countries), North America (13 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (11 countries), and South America (6 countries).

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Brazil, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and Taiwan.

Cat

O gato doméstico (Felis catus) é um carnívoro pequeno da família Felidae, amplamente mantido como animal de estimação e para controle de pragas. Originário do Oriente Médio, foi domesticado há cerca de 10.000 anos. Possui visão noturna excelente, audição aguçada e reflexos rápidos. Comunica-se por miar, ronronar e linguagem corporal. Caça instintivamente roedores e pássaros. Existem atualmente centenas de raças reconhecidas com diversas características físicas.

Cocconeis placentula is among the most ubiquitous and widely studied freshwater and brackish-water diatoms worldwide, serving as a model organism for periphyton ecology and a key species in biological assessment of water quality. A member of the family Cocconeidaceae, this adnate epiphyte produces a characteristic ovoid frustule with fine transapical striae, a well-developed raphe system on one valve, and an elaborate pattern of areolae visible under electron microscopy. The species complex encompasses several morphological varieties (var. placentula, var. lineata, var. euglypta, var. acuta) that differ in fine structural details of the valve ornamentation. Cocconeis placentula colonizes the surfaces of aquatic plants, algae, rocks, and sediment particles in rivers, lakes, and ponds across a vast global range spanning Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa, and beyond, tolerating a wide range of water temperatures, pH values, and moderate nutrient enrichment. Its abundance varies dramatically with substrate type, light availability, and water chemistry, making community composition data involving this species valuable in diatom-based paleolimnological reconstructions and modern bioassessment indices. As a benthic primary producer, C. placentula contributes substantially to the productivity of the photic benthos and serves as a dietary component for invertebrate grazers. Its remarkable cosmopolitan distribution and ecological flexibility make it one of the defining species of freshwater periphyton communities globally. Conservation status is not formally assessed.