Conservation of Cremnoconchus Blanford 1869, an Iconic Freshwater Gastropod Genus from the Western Ghats, India

Freshwater ecosystems in the Western Ghats are fragile and highly susceptible to environmental disturbances. The freshwater biota is particularly vulnerable because even the slightest change in habitat can lead to extinction. Freshwater gastropods are an important and diverse group in the freshwater ecosystem, accounting for about 20% of all metazoan animal recorded extinctions. The Western Ghats in India harbours an endemic genus of freshwater mollusc, Cremnoconchus. To date, 12 species of Cremnoconchus are known, and they are recorded only from the spray zones of waterfalls in the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot. They are point endemic and confined to the western escarpments of the Ghats between 300 m to 1400 m asl. Only three species have been assessed for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Given the limited distribution and vulnerability to environmental changes of all known Cremnoconchus species, we assess their conservation status using standard 'Red List' criteria and recommend conservation measures.