Iceland
Two
whitefish are
known only from Lake Thingvallavatn: Salvelinus thingvallensis
(Naturhistorhiska
riksmuseet) and Salvelinus
murta (flickr) (ittiofauna).
One marine species, a viviparous brotula Bythites islandicus (FishBase)
is known only from a single locality off southeast Iceland.
An amphipod crustacean Crymostygius
thingvallensis (ScienceDaily)
is the sole member of an endemic family, the Crymostygidae. Other
endemic invertebrates include a root-maggot fly Pegomyia ruficauda (eol), a hoverfly Platycheirus islandicus (p. 201 of Diptera.info pdf file), a
leaf-miner fly Phytoliriomyza
islandica (IngentaConnect),
the parasitic wasps Alloxysta
islandica (Fauna
Europaea) and Meloboris islandica (Fauna
Europaea), a mealybug Trionymus incertus (ScaleNet), a slug Lehmannia islandica (AnimalBase), a marine worm Lumbricillus macrothecatus
(Wiley
InterScience), a bristleworm Caulleryaspis gudmundssoni (Species ID), and an amphipod
crustacean Crangonyx
islandicus (Zootaxa
pdf file) (Univ. Iceland).
An eyebright Euphrasia
calida (ACEC
Viera y Clavijo) and a grass Elymus alopex (Flora of Iceland)
are
the only endemic vascular plants other than hawkweed microspecies.
Among the hawkweeds sometimes recognized as distinct
species are Hieracium
(or
Pilosella) islandicum (Flora of
Iceland), Hieracium arrostocephalum (p. 58 of IINH pdf file), Hieracium lygistodon (Lystigarður Akureyrar), Hieracium elegantiforme (Flora of Iceland), Hieracium aquiliforme (Lystigarður Akureyrar), and Hieracium thaectolepium (p. 73 of IINH pdf file).
Iceland's most distinctive living organism is a microbe Nanoarchaeum equitans
(Wikipedia)
collected from a hydrothermal vent that may represent a distinct
phylum. Endemic bacteria living in hot springs in
temperatures up
to 97° C include Methanothermus
sociabilis (LPSN)
and Sulfophobococcus
zilligii (CAT.INIST).
Iceland comprises the Iceland Boreal Birch Forests and Alpine Tundra
ecosystem (EoE).