Potamon fluviatile and covers parts of many countries with a Mediterranean coastline. It is found in mainland Italy and on the Balkan Peninsula from Dalmatia to the Axios River in Greece. It is also found on a number of islands, including Sicily, Malta and Gozo, the Ionian Islands, Aegean Islands, Sporades and Andros in the Cyclades. Although the species as a whole is widespread, it is declining in numbers, and these insular populations are particularly vulnerable. "Potamon fluviatile" is widely distributed in much of mainland Italy, especially in the provinces of Trento, Lombardy, Veneto, Liguria, Tuscany, Umbria, Lazio, Campania, Apulia, and Calabria,
Potamon fluviatile "P. fluviatile", but a number of animals take it opportunistically, including rats, foxes, weasels, birds of prey and jays. The most significant predator may be mankind, with individual prospectors able to catch 3,000 to 10,000 in one season. Adults occupy burrows, while smaller individuals shelter under stones. The entrances to the burrows may be more than from the stream's edge and are always above water level. The burrows may be more than long, and probably serve to protect the crabs from extreme cold. "Potamon fluviatile" is an aggressive species, mostly attacking with the larger right claw, since 90% of individuals