Common Moonwort vs Common Seal

Botrychium lunaria compared with Phoca vitulina

Key Differences

• Common Moonwort is Endangered while Common Seal is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Moonwort	Common Seal
Kingdom	Plantae (植物)	Animalia (动物界)
Phylum	Tracheophyta	Chordata (脊索动物门)
Class	Polypodiopsida (水龍骨綱)	Mammalia (哺乳動物)
Order	Ophioglossales (瓶尔小草目)	Pinnipedia (Seals & Sea Lions)
Family	Ophioglossaceae	Phocidae (True Seals)
Genus	Botrychium	Phoca (Harbor Seals)
Species	Botrychium lunaria	Phoca vitulina

Conservation Status

Common Moonwort

EN — Endangered

Common Seal

NT — Near Threatened

Population: ~500.0K

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Moonwort	Common Seal
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	30 years
Average Length	—	1.7 m
Average Weight	—	80.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Moonwort

Habitat

Typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (5 countries), and North America (United States). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Common Seal

Habitat

Typically found in diverse ecosystems where prey species are available.

Range

Found across Europe (7 countries) and North America (United States). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Common Moonwort

Common Moonwort (<em>Botrychium lunaria</em>) is a small fern in the genus <em>Botrychium</em>, family Ophioglossaceae. It is distributed across Asia, Europe, and North America, with confirmed presence in Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden, as well as Taiwan and the United States. The species is typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies. Common Moonwort is currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, indicating that it faces significant conservation challenges across its range. Its distinctive frond is divided into two parts: a sterile fan-shaped leaf portion with rounded lobes resembling a crescent moon, and a fertile spike bearing spore-bearing structures. As a fern ally rather than a flowering plant, it reproduces via spores rather than seeds. The species is associated with stable, undisturbed habitats including ancient grasslands, upland heaths, and rocky slopes. Its sensitivity to habitat disturbance and changes in land management are thought to contribute to population declines. Specific biological measurements such as lifespan and dimensions are not documented in available records.

Common Seal

分布最广的鳍足类动物港海豹（Phoca vitulina）栖居于北大西洋和北太平洋温带及亚北极沿海水域。成体体重可达130千克，在海中捕食鱼类、鱿鱼和甲壳动物，并在沙滩或礁岩上休息，两者时间大致相当。大而富有表情的眼睛适应于弱光下的水下视觉。港海豹是虎鲸、鲨鱼和北极熊的重要食物来源。

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 6 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States