Potamogeton lucens has leaves with a similar net-veined appearance, but is more uniform in its growth habit, has denticulate (finely toothed) leaf margins and stipules with two conspicuous keels.

[citation needed] Potamogeton coloratus is restricted to Europe (Britain, Ireland, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden (Gotland only), France including Corsica, Italy including Sardinia and Sicily, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Spain (Balearic Islands) and Portugal),[8] Turkey[9] and extreme North Africa (Morocco, Algeria).

[8] Fen pondweed has rather specialised habitat preferences, occurring predominantly on deep peat with nutrient-poor calcareous water and a strong groundwater influence, such as is commonly found in alkaline fenlands.

Within this habitat it occurs predominantly in ponds, ditches and drains, flushes and seeps, and the margins of shallow lakes,[7] in water up to about 1 m deep, often in the company of stoneworts[3] and bladderworts.

[12] In Britain and central Europe[10] it has been lost from many sites due to eutrophication or drainage, and most remaining populations are in nature reserves.

This was interpreted as reflecting population bottlenecks caused by ditch cleaning, and the tendency for dispersal to occur downstream.

[13] Pond snails such as Lymnaea stagnalis may consume fen pondweed, but it is rather unpalatable compared to other aquatic plants.

Fen pondweed was formerly extinct in the Czech Republic, but has recently been reestablished from the seed bank following desilting of some of its former habitat.