New land snail species discovered in Son Đoong cave

On January 8, Associate Professor Dr. Vu Van Lien, Deputy Director General of the Vietnam National Museum of Nature, submitted a report on the discovery and official recognition of a new land snail species. During scientific research conducted in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, the research team identified the new species, which was given the scientific name Calybium plicatus sp. nov.

Calybium plicatus sp. nov belongs to the genus Calybium, family Helicinidae, order Cycloneritida, class Gastropoda, phylum Animalia. It was collected from Sinkhole 1 in Son Doong cave. This species marks the first recorded terrestrial gastropod of its genus in Vietnam.

The shell of Calybium plicatus sp. nov resembles that of Calybium massiei (Morlet, 1892) but differs in having a smaller shell size and six evenly spaced apex plates.

The newly discovered land snail species has been described by Vietnamese experts as part of the research project titled “Biodiversity Study of the Son Doong Cave System in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Quang Binh Province, for Conservation and Sustainable Development.” This project, conducted from 2022 to 2024, is led by Associate Professor Dr. Vu Van Lien, Deputy Director General of the Vietnam National Museum of Nature.

The research team has proposed the Vietnamese name “ốc nón Sơn Đoòng” for this new species.

To support the management, protection, and conservation of this new land snail species, the Management Board of Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park has directed relevant departments and specialized units to include it in the list of newly discovered species of Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng and to establish measures for preserving and storing its specimens.

Ngoc Huyen