Buckelwal vs

Megaptera novaeangliae compared with Halostella salina

Key Differences

Buckelwal is Vulnerable while is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Buckelwal
Kingdom	Animalia (สัตว์)	Archaea (Archaea)
Phylum	Chordata (สัตว์มีแกนสันหลัง)	Halobacteriota (Halobacteriota)
Class	Mammalia (สัตว์เลี้ยงลูกด้วยน้ำนม)	Halobacteria (Halobacteria)
Order	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)	Halobacteriales (Halobacteriales)
Family	Balaenopteridae (Rorquals)	QS-9-68-17
Genus	Megaptera (Humpback Whales)	Halostella
Species	Megaptera novaeangliae	Halostella salina

Conservation Status

Buckelwal

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~80.0K

Trend: Increasing ↑

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Buckelwal
Diet	Carnivore	—
Average Lifespan	50 years	—
Average Length	15.0 m	—
Average Weight	30.0 t	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

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.

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.

Halostella salina is an extremely halophilic archaeon forming irregular cocci in hypersaline environments. It inhabits salt lakes, saline springs, and solar evaporation ponds where salt concentrations approach saturation. This aerobic, chemoheterotrophic archaeon requires extremely high salt concentrations for growth and obtains energy from organic compounds in its brine habitat.