Bigeye Sixgill Shark vs Buckelwal

Hexanchus nakamurai compared with Megaptera novaeangliae

Key Differences

• Bigeye Sixgill Shark is Near Threatened while Buckelwal is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bigeye Sixgill Shark	Buckelwal
Kingdom same	Animalia (hayvan)	Animalia (hayvan)
Phylum same	Chordata (Kordalılar)	Chordata (Kordalılar)
Class	Elasmobranchii	Mammalia (memeliler)
Order	Hexanchiformes (Hexanchiformes)	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)
Family	Hexanchidae	Balaenopteridae (Rorquals)
Genus	Hexanchus	Megaptera (Humpback Whales)
Species	Hexanchus nakamurai	Megaptera novaeangliae

Evolutionary Relationship

Bigeye Sixgill Shark and Buckelwal share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Kordalılar)

Conservation Status

Bigeye Sixgill Shark

NT — Near Threatened

Buckelwal

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~80.0K

Trend: Increasing ↑

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bigeye Sixgill Shark

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Taiwan and Venezuela. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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.

Bigeye Sixgill Shark

The Bigeye Sixgill Shark (Hexanchus nakamurai) is a species in the genus Hexanchus. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Native to Asia and South America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇹🇼 Taiwan 🇻🇪 Venezuela