Arctic barrel-bubble vs Fly Agaric

Retusa obtusa compared with Amanita muscaria

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Arctic barrel-bubble	Fly Agaric
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Mollusca (Mollusks)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Gastropoda (Gastropoda)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Cephalaspidea (Cephalaspidea)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Retusidae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Retusa	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Retusa obtusa	Amanita muscaria

Conservation Status

Arctic barrel-bubble

LC — Least Concern

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Arctic barrel-bubble	Fly Agaric
Diet	—	Decomposer
Average Lifespan	—	1 years
Average Length	—	20 cm
Average Weight	—	100 g

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.

Fly Agaric

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), Oceania and the Pacific (New Zealand), and South America (Brazil, Chile, Colombia).

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.

Fly Agaric

Among the most iconic and recognizable fungi on Earth, fly agaric mushrooms display striking red caps with white flecked warts across boreal forests of the Northern Hemisphere. Despite their fairy-tale appearance, they contain potent psychoactive compounds including muscimol and ibotenic acid and are moderately toxic. They form critical mycorrhizal symbioses with birch, pine, and spruce trees, exchanging mineral nutrients for carbon and playing essential roles in boreal forest nutrient cycling.