vs European otter

Biddulphia rhombus compared with Lutra lutra

Key Differences

• is Not Evaluated while European otter is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank		European otter
Kingdom	Chromista (Chromista)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Ochrophyta (Ochrophyta)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Bacillariophyceae (Bacillariophyceae)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Biddulphiales (Biddulphiales)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Biddulphiaceae	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)
Genus	Biddulphia	Lutra (Otters)
Species	Biddulphia rhombus	Lutra lutra

Conservation Status

NE — Not Evaluated

European otter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Sweden, and Taiwan.

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.

Biddulphia rhombus is a centric marine diatom with a distinctly bipolar, rhomboid to broadly lanceolate valve shape bearing prominent horn-like elevations. It inhabits coastal planktonic and benthic environments in temperate to warm seas worldwide. This photosynthetic diatom contributes to marine primary production in neritic coastal waters.

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 2 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇸🇪 Sweden