Endemic Freshwater Molluscs of Cuba and Their Conservation Status

Abstract

Cuba is one of the richest places in malacological fauna in the world, especially in land snails, hosting a high degree of endemism. A study on the distribution of freshwater molluscs that occur within the limits of protected areas was carried out. The objective was to determine the status of the endemic species and the potential threats of introduced snails. It was found that the inclusion of freshwater molluscs is not a criterion for proposing protected areas no matter how ecologically important they actually can be. A total of 42 species of freshwater molluscs occur in Cuba, but only 24 exist in the National System of Protected Areas. More critical is the fact that of the 10 Cuban endemics, three are not protected and the distribution data on all of them are not abundant. Introduced species such as Tarebia granifera and Melanoides tuberculata are spread throughout the country and might be a threat for endemics and other native snails. Data on the distribution of endemic molluscs is presented and the role of some introduced/invasive species is discussed.