Brain Fungus vs Epaulard

Sparassis crispa compared with Orcinus orca

Key Differences

Brain Fungus is Least Concern while Epaulard is Data Deficient.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Brain Fungus	Epaulard
Kingdom	Fungi (เห็ดรา)	Animalia (สัตว์)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Chordata (สัตว์มีแกนสันหลัง)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Mammalia (สัตว์เลี้ยงลูกด้วยน้ำนม)
Order	Polyporales (Polyporales)	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)
Family	Sparassidaceae	Delphinidae (Oceanic Dolphins)
Genus	Sparassis	Orcinus (Orcas)
Species	Sparassis crispa	Orcinus orca

Conservation Status

Brain Fungus

LC — Least Concern

Epaulard

DD — Data Deficient

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Unknown ?

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Brain Fungus	Epaulard
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	50 years
Average Length	—	8.0 m
Average Weight	—	5.4 t

Habitat & Geographic Range

Brain Fungus

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States.

Epaulard

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, Venezuela).

Brain Fungus

The Brain fungus (Sparassis crispa) is a species in the genus Sparassis. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Epaulard

The largest member of the dolphin family, orcas reach up to 9 meters and 6 tonnes and are found in every ocean from Arctic to Antarctic. Apex predators living in matrilineal pods with distinct dialects, hunting strategies, and cultural traditions that differ between populations. Some populations specialize in fish, others in marine mammals. No natural predators; orcas sit at the top of every marine food chain they inhabit.