Otter, Fischotter vs Heaviside-Delfin

Lutra lutra compared with Cephalorhynchus heavisidii

Key Differences

• Otter, Fischotter is Vulnerable while Heaviside-Delfin is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Otter, Fischotter	Heaviside-Delfin
Kingdom same	Animalia (Tier)	Animalia (Tier)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordatiere)	Chordata (Chordatiere)
Class same	Mammalia (Säugetiere)	Mammalia (Säugetiere)
Order	Carnivora (Raubtiere)	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)
Family	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)	Delphinidae (Oceanic Dolphins)
Genus	Lutra (Otters)	Cephalorhynchus
Species	Lutra lutra	Cephalorhynchus heavisidii

Evolutionary Relationship

Otter, Fischotter and Heaviside-Delfin share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Säugetiere)

Conservation Status

Otter, Fischotter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

Heaviside-Delfin

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Otter, Fischotter	Heaviside-Delfin
Diet	Carnivore	—
Average Lifespan	10 years	—
Average Length	1.0 m	—
Average Weight	10.0 kg	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Otter, Fischotter

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.

Heaviside-Delfin

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Otter, Fischotter

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.