CR

Princess Elimia

Elimia bellacrenata

Declining

Overview

Elimia bellacrenata, the princess elimia, is a brown freshwater snail species belonging to the family Pleuroceridae. E. bellacrenata is a gastropod mollusk, characterized by its operculum, and is found in North American freshwater environments.

Elimia bellacrenata faces severe threats from habitat degradation and water quality deterioration in its limited freshwater spring systems. Dam construction and water diversions have altered natural flow regimes, while agricultural runoff and urban development have introduced pollutants that compromise the clean, calcium-rich waters this species requires. The extremely restricted range makes any local disturbance potentially catastrophic for the entire population.

Threat summary

Habitat

This freshwater gastropod inhabits clean, calcium-rich spring systems and associated streams in limestone regions. It requires well-oxygenated waters with stable temperatures and specific mineral compositions typical of karst spring environments.

FRESHWATER· major

Conservation measures underway

Species recoverySpecies reintroductionEx-situ conservation

Other threatened species in PLEUROCERIDAE

EN

Io fluvialis

Unknown
VU

Lithasia duttoniana

Unknown
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Lithasia salebrosa

Unknown
VU

Pleurocera curta

Unknown

Threatened in United States

VU

Lepiota echinella

Unknown
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Paddlefish

Polyodon spathula

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VU

Copper Shark

Carcharhinus brachyurus

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EN

Lyophyllum deliberatum

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Princess Elimia classified as Critically Endangered?
Princess Elimia 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. Elimia bellacrenata faces severe threats from habitat degradation and water quality deterioration in its limited freshwater spring systems. Dam construction and water diversions have altered natural flow regimes, while agricultural runoff and urban development have introduced pollutants that compromise the clean, calcium-rich waters this species requires. The extremely restricted range makes any local disturbance potentially catastrophic for the entire population.
Where does Princess Elimia live?
Princess Elimia 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 Princess Elimia?
The main threats to Princess Elimia are 9.3.4, ai-1, ai-2, and ai-3. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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