Blind shark vs European otter

Hemiscyllium ocellatum compared with Lutra lutra

Key Differences

• Blind shark is Least Concern while European otter is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Blind shark	European otter
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Elasmobranchii	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Orectolobiformes (Orectolobiformes)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Hemiscylliidae	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)
Genus	Hemiscyllium	Lutra (Otters)
Species	Hemiscyllium ocellatum	Lutra lutra

Evolutionary Relationship

Blind shark and European otter share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Blind shark

LC — Least Concern

European otter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Blind shark

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.

Blind shark

The Blind shark (Hemiscyllium ocellatum) is a species in the genus Hemiscyllium. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

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.