vs koala

Chrysochromulina tenuispina compared with Phascolarctos cinereus

Key Differences

is Not Evaluated while koala is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank		koala
Kingdom	Chromista (色藻界)	Animalia (动物界)
Phylum	Haptophyta (定鞭藻門)	Chordata (脊索动物门)
Class	Prymnesiophyceae (普林藻纲)	Mammalia (哺乳動物)
Order	Prymnesiales (定鞭金藻目)	Diprotodontia (雙門齒目)
Family	Chrysochromulinaceae	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)
Genus	Chrysochromulina	Phascolarctos (Koalas)
Species	Chrysochromulina tenuispina	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 Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Norway and Sweden.

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.

Chrysochromulina tenuispina is a haptophyte microalga in the family Prymnesiaceae, distinguished by slender spines (tenuispina: Latin, thin-spined) projecting from the surface scales. These fine spine-like extensions are visible under transmission electron microscopy and provide a key feature distinguishing this species from other spine-bearing Chrysochromulina species. Cells are biflagellate with a haptonema and are enclosed in a coat of organic scales produced in the Golgi apparatus. C. tenuispina is a marine nanoplankton organism found primarily in coastal and shelf waters of temperate and subarctic seas, where it participates in primary production and the microbial food web. The genus Chrysochromulina thrives in physically mixed and nutrient-enriched waters, and many species exhibit plasticity in their nutritional strategies, supplementing photosynthesis with bacterial ingestion under low-light or nutrient-limited conditions. The slender spine structure may function in anti-grazing defense, reducing palatability or accessibility to protozoan predators. C. tenuispina has not been assessed for conservation status by the IUCN and is categorized as Not Evaluated. Its ecology and genetic diversity are incompletely characterized.