6-gilled shark vs Buckelwal

Hexanchus griseus compared with Megaptera novaeangliae

Key Differences

• 6-gilled shark is Not Evaluated while Buckelwal is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	6-gilled shark	Buckelwal
Kingdom same	Animalia (สัตว์)	Animalia (สัตว์)
Phylum same	Chordata (สัตว์มีแกนสันหลัง)	Chordata (สัตว์มีแกนสันหลัง)
Class	Elasmobranchii	Mammalia (สัตว์เลี้ยงลูกด้วยน้ำนม)
Order	Hexanchiformes (อันดับปลาฉลามครุย)	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)
Family	Hexanchidae	Balaenopteridae (Rorquals)
Genus	Hexanchus	Megaptera (Humpback Whales)
Species	Hexanchus griseus	Megaptera novaeangliae

Evolutionary Relationship

6-gilled shark and Buckelwal share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (สัตว์มีแกนสันหลัง)

Conservation Status

6-gilled shark

NE — Not Evaluated

Buckelwal

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~80.0K

Trend: Increasing ↑

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	6-gilled shark	Buckelwal
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	50 years
Average Length	—	15.0 m
Average Weight	—	30.0 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).

Buckelwal

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.

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.

Buckelwal

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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 6 countries:

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