Hedleya macleayi
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Hedleya macleayi faces significant pressure from habitat degradation in its restricted range along Australia's eastern coast. Urban development and coastal infrastructure projects have fragmented the rocky intertidal zones where this marine gastropod depends on specific algal communities. Climate change-induced ocean warming and acidification threaten to alter the delicate chemical balance of its calcium carbonate shell formation and disrupt the marine food webs it relies upon.
Habitat
This marine gastropod inhabits rocky intertidal zones and shallow subtidal areas along the eastern Australian coastline, typically found on hard substrates where it grazes on encrusting algae and biofilms. The species requires specific water chemistry conditions and stable rocky platforms that provide both feeding opportunities and protection from wave action.