Arctic barrel-bubble vs European otter

Retusa obtusa compared with Lutra lutra

Key Differences

• Arctic barrel-bubble is Least Concern while European otter is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Arctic barrel-bubble	European otter
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Mollusca (Mollusks)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Gastropoda (Gastropoda)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Cephalaspidea (Cephalaspidea)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Retusidae	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)
Genus	Retusa	Lutra (Otters)
Species	Retusa obtusa	Lutra lutra

Evolutionary Relationship

Arctic barrel-bubble and European otter share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Arctic barrel-bubble

LC — Least Concern

European otter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Arctic barrel-bubble	European otter
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	10 years
Average Length	—	1.0 m
Average Weight	—	10.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Arctic barrel-bubble

Habitat

Typically found in terrestrial and aquatic habitats including forests and freshwater.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

European otter

Habitat

Typically found in diverse ecosystems where prey species are available.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Arctic barrel-bubble

The Arctic barrel-bubble (Retusa obtusa) is a species in the genus Retusa. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in terrestrial and aquatic habitats including forests and freshwater.

European otter

Sleek semi-aquatic mustelid found along clean rivers, streams, and coastlines across Europe and Asia. European otters can reach 1.3 meters in length and are highly skilled fish hunters, using sensitive whiskers to detect prey movements. Requiring unpolluted water with abundant fish, they are an indicator species for freshwater ecosystem health. Once nearly extinct in Western Europe from hunting and pollution, populations have recovered significantly following water quality improvements.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden