CR

Flax Shell

Placostylus mbengensis

Unknown

Overview

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

Placostylus mbengensis faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to mining activities and agricultural expansion in its limited range. The species' extremely restricted distribution makes it particularly vulnerable to localized disturbances, while introduced species and collection pressure further compound population decline risks.

Threat summary

Habitat

This endemic land snail inhabits limestone karst formations and associated forest areas in New Caledonia. It requires specific microhabitat conditions found in native vegetation on calcareous substrates.

Forest· majorMarine neritic· major

Conservation measures underway

Species recovery

Other threatened species in ORTHALICIDAE

VU

Flax Snail

Placostylus elobatus

Unknown
CR

Flax Snail

Placostylus koroensis

Unknown
EN

Flax Shell

Placostylus kantavuensis

Unknown
EN

Boninena hiraseana

Unknown

Threatened in Fiji

Montipora capitataEN

Montipora capitata

Declining
VU

Papilio natewa

Unknown
EN

Giant Fijian Longhorn Beetle

Xixuthrus heros

Declining

Frequently asked questions

Why is Flax Shell classified as Critically Endangered?
Flax Shell 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. Placostylus mbengensis faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to mining activities and agricultural expansion in its limited range. The species' extremely restricted distribution makes it particularly vulnerable to localized disturbances, while introduced species and collection pressure further compound population decline risks.
Where does Flax Shell live?
Flax Shell occurs in Fiji. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Flax Shell?
The main threats to Flax Shell are 2.1, 8.1, ai-1, and ai-2. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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