Phycodrina elegans
CR

Phycodrina elegans

Declining

Photo: (c) Taylor, William Randolph 1945. Pacific marine algae of the Allan Hancock Expeditions to the Galapagos Islands. Allan Hancock Pacific Expeditions; v. 12. University of Southern California., some rights reserved (CC BY)

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

Phycodrina elegans faces severe population decline due to habitat destruction from coastal development and pollution in its restricted marine range. Ocean acidification poses an additional threat to this delicate species, affecting its calcium carbonate structures and disrupting its feeding mechanisms. Climate change-induced sea level fluctuations and temperature variations further compromise the stability of its specialized benthic habitat.

Threat summary

Habitat

Phycodrina elegans inhabits shallow marine environments, typically found in rocky intertidal zones and subtidal areas with moderate water flow. The species requires specific substrate conditions and water chemistry parameters that are increasingly rare due to environmental pressures.

Rocky areas· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protection

Other threatened species in DELESSERIACEAE

CR

Myriogramme kylinii

Declining
VU

Pseudolaingia hancockii

Unknown
VU

Austrofolium equatorianum

Unknown
VU

Acrosorium papenfussii

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Phycodrina elegans classified as Critically Endangered?
Phycodrina elegans 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. Phycodrina elegans faces severe population decline due to habitat destruction from coastal development and pollution in its restricted marine range. Ocean acidification poses an additional threat to this delicate species, affecting its calcium carbonate structures and disrupting its feeding mechanisms. Climate change-induced sea level fluctuations and temperature variations further compromise the stability of its specialized benthic habitat.
Where does Phycodrina elegans live?
Phycodrina elegans occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Phycodrina elegans?
The main threats to Phycodrina elegans are 11.1, 2.3, 5.1, and 5.1.1. 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.