Baltische Meerassel vs Koala

Idotea balthica compared with Phascolarctos cinereus

Key Differences

• Baltische Meerassel is Not Evaluated while Koala is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Baltische Meerassel	Koala
Kingdom same	Animalia (Tier)	Animalia (Tier)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Gliederfüßer)	Chordata (Chordatiere)
Class	Malacostraca (Höhere Krebse)	Mammalia (Säugetiere)
Order	Isopoda (Asseln)	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)
Family	Idoteidae	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)
Genus	Idotea	Phascolarctos (Koalas)
Species	Idotea balthica	Phascolarctos cinereus

Evolutionary Relationship

Baltische Meerassel and Koala share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Tier)

Conservation Status

Baltische Meerassel

NE — Not Evaluated

Koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Baltische Meerassel	Koala
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	15 years
Average Length	—	75 cm
Average Weight	—	10.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Baltische Meerassel

Habitat

Typically found in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden.

Koala

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, forests, and vegetated habitats.

Range

Found in Australia. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Baltische Meerassel

The Baltic Isopod (Idotea balthica) is a species in the genus Idotea. Typically found in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments. Like other members of its genus, this species plays a role in its native ecosystem.

Koala

Iconic marsupial of eastern and southeastern Australia, koalas weigh up to 15 kg and spend up to 22 hours daily sleeping to conserve energy from their low-calorie eucalyptus leaf diet. Highly specialized to process toxic eucalyptus compounds that would kill most other mammals, they have gut microbiomes uniquely adapted for detoxification. Listed as Endangered in 2022, with populations decimated by chlamydia disease, habitat clearing, and climate change.