Iceland
Endemic
freshwater fishes include the Iceland Stickleback Gasterosteus islandicus
(iNaturalist)
and two
whitefish
known only from Lake Thingvallavatn: Salvelinus thingvallensis
(iNaturalist) (Ittiofauna
WM)
and Salvelinus
murta (flickr)
(Ittiofauna
WM). Marine fishes known only from Iceland include a cod Svetovidovia lucullus (FishBase) and a viviparous brotula Bythites islandicus
(FishBase).
An amphipod crustacean Crymostygius
thingvallensis (EurekAlert!)
is the sole member of an endemic family, the Crymostygidae (ResearchGate).
A marine isopod crustacean Mictosoma
ramosum (p. 83 of Sphaeromatidae
pdf) (fig. 4 at BHL),
known from a single specimen from a depth of 1960 m off
southern Iceland, is the only member of the family
Mictosomatidae.
Other
endemic invertebrates include a root-maggot fly Pegomya ruficauda (Kobenhavns
Univ. WM), a hoverfly Platycheirus
islandicus
(ResearchGate)
(Artfakta),
a
leaf-miner fly Phytoliriomyza
islandica (GBIF),
a parasitic wasp Meloboris islandica (Kobenhavns
Univ. WM),
a
slug Lehmannia islandica
(iNaturalist) (p. 12 of Zobodat pdf),
a marine worm Lumbricillus
macrothecatus
(Wiley),
a bristleworm Caulleryaspis
gudmundssoni (ResearchGate),
and an amphipod
crustacean Crangonyx
islandicus (ResearchGate)
(ni.is
WM).
An eyebright Euphrasia
calida (JSTOR)
(ni.is)
and a grass Elymus
alopex (ni.is)
(BOLD)
are
the only endemic flowering plant species other than hawkweed and
dandelion microspecies.
An endemic fern Struthiopteris fallax (flickr)
(ni.is)
(Springer)
has
also been raised to full species status. Another eyebright Euphrasia davidssonii (POWO) (Google Books) is also sometimes recognized as a full species. Among
the hawkweeds sometimes recognized as distinct
species are Hieracium
(or
Pilosella) islandicum (ni.is)
(Lystigarður
Akureyrar),
Hieracium arrostocephalum
(p. 58 of IINH
pdf)
(ni.is),
Hieracium
lygistodon (Lystigarður
Akureyrar WM) (iNaturalist),
Hieracium elegantiforme
(Flora
of Iceland WM) (ni.is),
Hieracium aquiliforme
(Lystigarður
Akureyrar WM) (iNaturalist), and Hieracium thaectolepium
(p.
73 of IINH
pdf) (iNaturalist).
Endemic dandelions include Taraxacum
brachylobum (Kobenhavns
Univ. WM), Taraxacum
cyclocentrum (JSTOR),
and Taraxacum
ostrinum (JSTOR).
Lichens known only from Iceland include Cladonia glacialis (Flora
of Iceland WM pdf) and Acarospora islandica
(Univ.
Oslo). Endemic non-vascular plants include a moss Vinealobryum islandicum (ResearchGate).
Endemic bacteria living in hot springs in
temperatures up
to 97° C include Methanothermus
fervidus (BacMap
WM) (Univ.
Regensburg pdf)
and Sulfophobococcus
zilligii (ResearchGate).
Iceland comprises the Iceland Boreal Birch Forests and Alpine Tundra
ecosystem (EoE).
