CR

Marstonia castor

Declining

Overview

Marstonia castor, common name the beaver pond marstonia, is a species of very small freshwater snail with a gill and an operculum, an aquatic operculate gastropod mollusc in the family Hydrobiidae. This species was endemic to a very limited area of the US state of Georgia, mostly to streams and creeks around Lake Blackshear.

Marstonia castor faces severe threats from groundwater depletion and contamination in its limited spring habitat range. Urban development and agricultural runoff have degraded water quality in the few remaining springs where this species persists. The species' extremely restricted distribution makes it particularly vulnerable to localized environmental changes and pollution events.

Threat summary

Habitat

This freshwater gastropod is endemic to limestone springs and spring-fed streams in the southeastern United States. It requires clean, well-oxygenated groundwater with stable temperatures and specific mineral compositions typical of karst spring systems.

Wetlands (inland)· majorWetlands (inland) - Permanent rivers/streams· major

Conservation measures underway

Species recovery

Other threatened species in HYDROBIIDAE

VU

Wekiwa Siltsnail

Floridobia wekiwae

Unknown
VU

Floridobia monroensis

Unknown
EN

Ohrigocea stankovici

Unknown
EN

Palacanthilhiopsis margritae

Unknown

Threatened in United States

VU

Lepiota echinella

Unknown
VU

Paddlefish

Polyodon spathula

Unknown
VU

Copper Shark

Carcharhinus brachyurus

Declining
EN

Lyophyllum deliberatum

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Marstonia castor classified as Critically Endangered?
Marstonia castor is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Marstonia castor faces severe threats from groundwater depletion and contamination in its limited spring habitat range. Urban development and agricultural runoff have degraded water quality in the few remaining springs where this species persists. The species' extremely restricted distribution makes it particularly vulnerable to localized environmental changes and pollution events.
Where does Marstonia castor live?
Marstonia castor occurs in United States. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Marstonia castor?
The main threats to Marstonia castor are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

Get weekly conservation intelligence

One short digest a week of the most striking species and country data we ship, plus breaking conservation news paired with our database where it matters.

Free, no spam. One-click unsubscribe in every email.