vs koala

Coelosphaerium kuetzingianum compared with Phascolarctos cinereus

Key Differences

is Not Evaluated while koala is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank		koala
Kingdom	Bacteria (Bacteria)	Animalia (สัตว์)
Phylum	Cyanobacteria (สาหร่ายสีเขียวแกมน้ำเงิน)	Chordata (สัตว์มีแกนสันหลัง)
Class	Cyanobacteriia	Mammalia (สัตว์เลี้ยงลูกด้วยน้ำนม)
Order	Cyanobacteriales	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)
Family	Microcystaceae	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)
Genus	Coelosphaerium	Phascolarctos (Koalas)
Species	Coelosphaerium kuetzingianum	Phascolarctos cinereus

Conservation Status

NE — Not Evaluated

koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute		koala
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	15 years
Average Length	—	75 cm
Average Weight	—	10.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Taiwan.

koala

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, forests, and vegetated habitats.

Range

Found in Australia. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Coelosphaerium kuetzingianum is a colonial planktonic cyanobacterium in the family Merismopediaceae, named in honour of the nineteenth-century German phycologist Friedrich Traugott Kützing, who made foundational contributions to the study of algae and cyanobacteria. The species forms spherical to globular mucilaginous colonies with cells arranged near the periphery of a clear gelatinous matrix—the characteristic architecture of the genus. Individual cells are small, typically 2–5 micrometres in diameter, and possess gas vesicles that confer buoyancy regulation, enabling the organism to position itself advantageously in stratified water columns. Coelosphaerium kuetzingianum has been recorded from freshwater lakes, reservoirs, and ponds across temperate northern Europe, including Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, as well as from Taiwan, indicating a broad latitudinal tolerance. Its occurrence in both boreal and subtropical settings suggests morphological plasticity or the presence of distinct ecotypes within the species concept. As with other members of the genus, it participates in aquatic food webs as a primary producer and is consumed by filter-feeding zooplankton such as cladocerans and rotifers. Eutrophication resulting from agricultural nutrient loading can stimulate cyanobacterial growth in affected water bodies. No IUCN conservation assessment has been undertaken for this planktonic cyanobacterium.

koala

Iconic marsupial of eastern and southeastern Australia, koalas weigh up to 15 kg and spend up to 22 hours daily sleeping to conserve energy from their low-calorie eucalyptus leaf diet. Highly specialized to process toxic eucalyptus compounds that would kill most other mammals, they have gut microbiomes uniquely adapted for detoxification. Listed as Endangered in 2022, with populations decimated by chlamydia disease, habitat clearing, and climate change.