the Endodontidae are land snails endemic to Pacific islands, and the type genus
Endodonta and its 11 species are endemic to the Hawaiian Archipelago. most members
of the family, because of their ground dwelling habits, are vulnerable to introduced predators
and most of the species in Hawaii are already extinct. Fossil specimens have been
used to describe extinct species, but no living Endodonta species have been described in
more than 100 years. Over the last 15 years, the most comprehensive search for land snails
in Hawaii has been carried out, with more than 1000 sites surveyed to date. the only
known living Endodonta species is from the island of Nihoa, discovered in 1923, but
remaining undescribed until now. Here we finally give what we think is the last
Endodonta species a name and describe it using an integrative taxonomic approach. In
describing this last Endodonta species, our hope is to inspire increased awareness and
appreciation that facilitates and motivates conservation for this species and all the other
undiscovered and unnamed species threatened with extinction. unless protection of this
species is implemented, it may be extinct within the next decade and we will lose the last
of a lineage that existed for millions of years, and the stories it could tell.
more »
« less
The last known Endodonta species? Endodonta christenseni sp. nov. (Gastropoda: Endodontidae).
the Endodontidae are land snails endemic to Pacific islands, and the type genus
Endodonta and its 11 species are endemic to the Hawaiian Archipelago. most members
of the family, because of their ground dwelling habits, are vulnerable to introduced predators
and most of the species in Hawaii are already extinct. Fossil specimens have been
used to describe extinct species, but no living Endodonta species have been described in
more than 100 years. Over the last 15 years, the most comprehensive search for land snails
in Hawaii has been carried out, with more than 1000 sites surveyed to date. the only
known living Endodonta species is from the island of Nihoa, discovered in 1923, but
remaining undescribed until now. Here we finally give what we think is the last
Endodonta species a name and describe it using an integrative taxonomic approach. In
describing this last Endodonta species, our hope is to inspire increased awareness and
appreciation that facilitates and motivates conservation for this species and all the other
undiscovered and unnamed species threatened with extinction. unless protection of this
species is implemented, it may be extinct within the next decade and we will lose the last
of a lineage that existed for millions of years, and the stories it could tell.
more »
« less
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10281647
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Bishop Museum occasional papers
- Volume:
- 138
- ISSN:
- 2376-3191
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 1-15
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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null (Ed.)the Endodontidae are land snails endemic to Pacific islands, and the type genus Endodonta and its 11 species are endemic to the Hawaiian Archipelago. most members of the family, because of their ground dwelling habits, are vulnerable to introduced predators and most of the species in Hawaii are already extinct. Fossil specimens have been used to describe extinct species, but no living Endodonta species have been described in more than 100 years. Over the last 15 years, the most comprehensive search for land snails in Hawaii has been carried out, with more than 1000 sites surveyed to date. the only known living Endodonta species is from the island of Nihoa, discovered in 1923, but remaining undescribed until now. Here we finally give what we think is the last Endodonta species a name and describe it using an integrative taxonomic approach. In describing this last Endodonta species, our hope is to inspire increased awareness and appreciation that facilitates and motivates conservation for this species and all the other undiscovered and unnamed species threatened with extinction. unless protection of this species is implemented, it may be extinct within the next decade and we will lose the last of a lineage that existed for millions of years, and the stories it could tell.more » « less
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null (Ed.)Freshwater systems are among the most threatened habitats in the world and the biodiversity inhabiting them is disappearing quickly. The Hawaiian Archipelago has a small but highly endemic and threatened group of freshwater snails, with eight species in three families (Neritidae, Lymnaeidae, and Cochliopidae). Anthropogenically mediated habitat modifications (i.e., changes in land and water use) and invasive species (e.g., Euglandina spp., non-native sciomyzids) are among the biggest threats to freshwater snails in Hawaii. Currently, only three species are protected either federally (U.S. Endangered Species Act; Erinna newcombi) or by Hawaii State legislation (Neritona granosa, and Neripteron vespertinum). Here, we review the taxonomic and conservation status of Hawaii’s freshwater snails and describe historical and contemporary impacts to their habitats. We conclude by recommending some basic actions that are needed immediately to conserve these species. Without a full understanding of these species’ identities, distributions, habitat requirements, and threats, many will not survive the next decade, and we will have irretrievably lost more of the unique books from the evolutionary library of life on Earth.more » « less
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null (Ed.)Abstract The Hawaiian archipelago was formerly home to one of the most species-rich land snail faunas (> 752 species), with levels of endemism > 99%. Many native Hawaiian land snail species are now extinct, and the remaining fauna is vulnerable. Unfortunately, lack of information on critical habitat requirements for Hawaiian land snails limits the development of effective conservation strategies. The purpose of this study was to examine the plant host preferences of native arboreal land snails in Puʻu Kukui Watershed, West Maui, Hawaiʻi, and compare these patterns to those from similar studies on the islands of Oʻahu and Hawaiʻi. Concordant with studies on other islands, we found that four species from three diverse families of snails in Puʻu Kukui Watershed had preferences for a few species of understorey plants. These were not the most abundant canopy or mid canopy species, indicating that forests without key understorey plants may not support the few remaining lineages of native snails. Preference for Broussaisia arguta among various island endemic snails across all studies indicates that this species is important for restoration to improve snail habitat. As studies examining host plant preferences are often incongruent with studies examining snail feeding, we suggest that we are in the infancy of defining what constitutes critical habitat for most Hawaiian arboreal snails. However, our results indicate that preserving diverse native plant assemblages, particularly understorey plant species, which facilitate key interactions, is critical to the goal of conserving the remaining threatened snail fauna.more » « less
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