Baltic Macoma vs European otter

Macoma balthica compared with Lutra lutra

Key Differences

• Baltic Macoma is Least Concern while European otter is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Baltic Macoma	European otter
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Mollusca (Mollusks)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Bivalvia (Bivalvia)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Cardiida (Cardiida)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Tellinidae	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)
Genus	Macoma	Lutra (Otters)
Species	Macoma balthica	Lutra lutra

Evolutionary Relationship

Baltic Macoma and European otter share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Baltic Macoma

LC — Least Concern

European otter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Baltic Macoma	European otter
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	10 years
Average Length	—	1.0 m
Average Weight	—	10.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Baltic Macoma

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States.

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.

Baltic Macoma

The Baltic Macoma (Macoma balthica) is a species in the genus Macoma. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

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 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden