Balloon shark vs Cook’s swellshark

Cephaloscyllium sarawakensis compared with Cephaloscyllium cooki

Key Differences

• Balloon shark is Critically Endangered while Cook’s swellshark is Data Deficient.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Balloon shark	Cook’s swellshark
Kingdom same	Animalia (สัตว์)	Animalia (สัตว์)
Phylum same	Chordata (สัตว์มีแกนสันหลัง)	Chordata (สัตว์มีแกนสันหลัง)
Class same	Chondrichthyes (ปลากระดูกอ่อน)	Chondrichthyes (ปลากระดูกอ่อน)
Order same	Carcharhiniformes (อันดับปลาฉลามครีบดำ)	Carcharhiniformes (อันดับปลาฉลามครีบดำ)
Family same	Scyliorhinidae	Scyliorhinidae
Genus same	Cephaloscyllium	Cephaloscyllium
Species	Cephaloscyllium sarawakensis	Cephaloscyllium cooki

Evolutionary Relationship

Balloon shark and Cook’s swellshark share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Cephaloscyllium.

Conservation Status

Balloon shark

CR — Critically Endangered

Cook’s swellshark

DD — Data Deficient

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Balloon shark	Cook’s swellshark
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Balloon shark

Habitat

Inhabits tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests within the Indomalayan biogeographic realm.

Range

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

Cook’s swellshark

Habitat

Typically found in marine environments from coastal waters to deep ocean.

Balloon shark

The Balloon shark (Cephaloscyllium sarawakensis) is a species in the genus Cephaloscyllium. It is currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Inhabits tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests within the Indomalayan biogeographic realm.