European otter vs Fishtail Cup

Lutra lutra compared with Gyromitra leucoxantha

Key Differences

European otter is Vulnerable while Fishtail Cup is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	European otter	Fishtail Cup
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Pezizomycetes (Pezizomycetes)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Pezizales (Pezizales)
Family	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)	Discinaceae
Genus	Lutra (Otters)	Gyromitra
Species	Lutra lutra	Gyromitra leucoxantha

Conservation Status

European otter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

Fishtail Cup

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

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.

Fishtail Cup

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Denmark and Sweden. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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.