vs European otter

Chroomonas monococca 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	Cryptophyta	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Cryptophyceae (Cryptophyceae)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Pyrenomonadales (Pyrenomonadales)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Chroomonadaceae	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)
Genus	Chroomonas	Lutra (Otters)
Species	Chroomonas monococca	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 Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across 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.

Chroomonas monococca is a species of cryptophyte alga in the family Chroomonadaceae, found in freshwater and potentially brackish aquatic environments in Europe. The specific epithet monococca, derived from the Greek for single grain, may refer to a distinctive unicellular morphology or the simple, solitary occurrence of cells without colonial aggregation. Cryptophytes in the genus Chroomonas are typically solitary, motile flagellates, so this epithet may emphasize a particular cell shape characteristic. Chroomonas species contain a characteristic plastid of secondary red algal origin, with a retained nucleomorph and a pigment complement including chlorophyll a, chlorophyll c, beta-carotene, and one of several phycobiliproteins depending on the species. These photosynthetic pigments collectively enable efficient absorption of light across a broad spectrum, contributing to the ecological success of cryptophytes across a range of light environments. Chroomonas monococca inhabits freshwater phytoplankton and periphyton communities and contributes to primary production in its aquatic habitat. It has been recorded from European freshwater localities and is one of numerous described species in this taxonomically diverse genus. Conservation status has not been assessed by the IUCN.

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.