blue whale vs

Balaenoptera musculus compared with Nitrosotalea devanaterra

Key Differences

• blue whale is Vulnerable while is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	blue whale
Kingdom	Animalia (สัตว์)	Archaea (Archaea)
Phylum	Chordata (สัตว์มีแกนสันหลัง)	Thermoproteota (Thermoproteota)
Class	Mammalia (สัตว์เลี้ยงลูกด้วยน้ำนม)	Nitrososphaeria (Nitrososphaeria)
Order	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)	Nitrososphaerales (Nitrososphaerales)
Family	Balaenopteridae (Rorquals)	Nitrosopumilaceae
Genus	Balaenoptera (Rorquals)	Nitrosotalea
Species	Balaenoptera musculus	Nitrosotalea devanaterra

Conservation Status

blue whale

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~15.0K

Trend: Increasing ↑

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

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.

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.

Nitrosotalea devanaterra is a chemolithoautotrophic archaeon in the phylum Thaumarchaeota, notable for being the first confirmed ammonia-oxidizing archaeon that thrives under acidic conditions. It was isolated from acidic agricultural soil and plays a significant role in nitrogen cycling in low-pH environments where other nitrifying organisms cannot function. Its discovery expanded understanding of how the global nitrogen cycle operates in acidic ecosystems.