Somatogyrus hendersoni
Overview
The fluted pebblesnail, scientific name Somatogyrus hendersoni, is a species of very small freshwater snail with an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusc in the family Lithoglyphidae. This species is endemic to Alabama in the United States. Its natural habitat is the Coosa River, but it has not been collected since the river was impounded.
Somatogyrus hendersoni faces severe threats from groundwater depletion and contamination in its limited spring habitat range. Urban development and agricultural activities have altered local hydrology, reducing water flow and quality in the artesian springs this species depends upon. Water extraction for human use has lowered water tables, while chemical runoff from surrounding land use introduces pollutants that degrade the delicate spring ecosystem chemistry essential for this gastropod's survival.
Habitat
This critically endangered freshwater gastropod is endemic to artesian springs and spring-fed streams in limited areas of the southeastern United States. It requires clean, cool, well-oxygenated spring water with specific mineral content and stable temperatures year-round.
