Enigmatic ghostsnail
Fontigens antroecetes Hubricht, 1972
Taxonomy
| Kingdom | Animalia |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Mollusca |
| Class | Gastropoda |
| Order | Littorinimorpha |
| Family | Hydrobiidae |
| Genus | Fontigens |
| Species | Fontigens antroecetes Hubricht, 1972 |
Synonyms
- Amnicola aldrichi antroecetes Hubricht, 1940 (subjective synonym, CoL)
Description
Diagnostic characters
- Ecological class
- Stygobiont
- Realm
- Aquatic
- Troglomorphy
- Troglomorphic
- Maximum length
- ~1.56 (diameter) mm
Distribution
Type locality
Stemlers Cave, St. Clair Co. IL
Range
Known from 11 counties across two states in the Ozarks karst region.
Continent
North America
Country
United States
States and provinces
Illinois, Missouri
Counties
- Illinois
- Saint Clair, St. Clair
- Missouri
- Crawford, Perry, Phelps, Pulaski, Sainte Genevieve, Shannon, St. Louis, Ste. Genevieve, Washington
Karst regions
Ozarks
Genetics
Molecular resources
| Marker | Molecule | Sequences | Length | Exemplar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COI | mitochondrial | 1 | 658-658 bp | MT425002.1 |
1 sequence, retrieved 23 August 2026. Counts change as sequences are deposited. Search GenBank.
Download all 1 sequence records (CSV) Accession, marker, molecule type, length, GenBank definition and a direct link.
Specimens
Type material
- Holotype
- MO175554 · Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
- Paratype ×2
- Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
- Paratype
- 283218 · Field Museum of Natural History
- Paratype
- USNM 535852 · National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
Collections holding material
| Institution | Lots |
|---|---|
| Field Museum of Natural History | 18 |
| University of Michigan Museum of Zoology | 11 |
| Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University | 3 |
| National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution | 3 |
35 cataloged lots in 4 collections. Compiled from GBIF and not an exhaustive census: many collections are not yet digitised, and holdings are added continually. Search GBIF for specimen records.
Download all 35 specimen records (CSV) Institution, catalog number, type status and preparation. No coordinates.
Conservation and management
IUCN Red List
VU Vulnerable B1ab(iii)
Assessed in 2011.
NatureServe
G2 Imperiled
Global rank last reviewed 22 December 2011.
Subnational ranks
- Illinois
- S1 Critically Imperiled
- Missouri
- S2 Imperiled
Ranks looked up 23 August 2026. Conservation status changes, and a rank here is as current as that date and no more.
State and federal status
Not listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
Threats
- Agriculture - Livestock
- Pollution -Sewage or Urban Wastewater
- Pollution - Agricultural & Forestry
Other resources
References
- Gladstone, N.S., Niemiller, M.L., Hutchins, B., Schwartz, B., Czaja, A., Slay, M.E. & Whelan, N.V. 2022. Subterranean freshwater gastropod biodiversity and conservation in the United States and Mexico. Conservation Biology 36: e13722. doi:10.1111/cobi.13722
- Lewis, J.J., Moss, P., Tecic, D. & Nelson, M.E. 2003. A conservation focused inventory of subterranean invertebrates of the southwestern Illinois karst. Journal of Cave and Karst Studies 65: 9–21.
- Liu, H.-P., Schroeder, L., Berry, A. & Dillon, R.T. 2021. High levels of mitochondrial DNA sequence divergence among isolated populations of Fontigens (Truncatelloidea: Emmericiidae) in eastern USA. Journal of Molluscan Studies 87: eyab026. doi:10.1093/mollus/eyab026
- Nicholas, G. 1960. Checklist of macroscopic troglobitic organisms of the United States. The American Midland Naturalist 64: 123–160. doi:10.2307/2422897
- Peck, S.B. & Lewis, J.J. 1978. Zoogeography and evolution of the subterranean invertebrate faunas of Illinois and southeastern Missouri. National Speleological Society Bulletin 40: 39–63.
- Webb, D.W., Taylor, S.J. & Krejca, J.K. 1993. The biological resources of Illinois caves and other subterranean environments. Illinois Natural History Survey, Champaign, Illinois, USA. 143 pp.
This account was last revised 28 August 2026. Conservation ranks were looked up 23 August 2026.
How to cite this account
Data sources and funding are listed in the Acknowledgments.
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