Australia

Checklist of Endemic Animal and Plant Families

This list of animal and plant families found exclusively in Australia is based on the taxonomy used in the Mammal Diversity Database (2020) for mammals, HBW/BirdLife (2024) for birds, the Reptile Database (2018) for reptiles, AmphibiaWeb (2018) for amphibians, Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes (2023) for fishes, and POWO (2024) for vascular plants. Invertebrates are based on Zhang (2013), Zhang (2011), and Roskov et al. (2014) depending on the group. Families described after these sources are indicated by the year of description. For further details on the sources and possible inaccuracies in the list see Sources & Caveats.

* = endemic order (includes Notoryctemorphia, Lepidogalaxiiformes, and Trigoniida)

EX = Extinct

Aphanopetalaceae 1 gen. 2 spp. (Vascular Plants )

Austrobaileyaceae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Vascular Plants )

Blandfordiaceae 1 gen. 4 spp. (Vascular Plants )

Boryaceae 2 gen. 13 spp. (Vascular Plants )

Cephalotaceae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Vascular Plants )

Dasypogonaceae 4 gen. 20 spp. (Vascular Plants )

Doryanthaceae 1 gen. 2 spp. (Vascular Plants )

Ecdeiocoleaceae 2 gen. 3 spp. (Vascular Plants )

Emblingiaceae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Vascular Plants )

Gyrostemonaceae 5 gen. 20 spp. (Vascular Plants )

Macarthuriaceae 1 gen. 9 spp. (Vascular Plants )

Maundiaceae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Vascular Plants )

Petermanniaceae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Vascular Plants )

Tetracarpaceae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Vascular Plants )

Spinulacorpidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Acanthocephala Echinorhynchida ) 2020

Pyriproboscidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Acanthocephala Polymorphida ) 2020

Anamidae 10 gen. 143 spp. (Arthropoda Arachnida Araneae) 2020

Nothogynidae 1 gen. 2 spp. (Arthropoda Arachnida Mesostigmata)

Promegistidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Arthropoda Arachnida Mesostigmata)

Ptochacaridae 1 gen. 3 spp. (Arthropoda Arachnida Mesostigmata)

Saltiseiidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Arthropoda Arachnida Mesostigmata)

Teranyssidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Arthropoda Arachnida Mesostigmata)

Lomanellidae 2 gen. 20 spp. (Arthropoda Arachnida Opiliones) 2021

Astacocrotonidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Arthropoda Arachnida Trombidiformes)

Eriorhynchidae 1 gen. 5 spp. (Arthropoda Arachnida Trombidiformes)

Pezidae 1 gen. 2 spp. (Arthropoda Arachnida Trombidiformes)

Yurebillidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Arthropoda Arachnida Trombidiformes)

Gondwanotrichidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Arthropoda Crustacea Branchiopoda)

Parartemiidae 1 gen. 18 spp. (Arthropoda Crustacea Branchiopoda)

Aetiopedesidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Arthropoda Crustacea Malacostraca)

Anaspidesidae 3 gen. 12 spp. (Arthropoda Crustacea Malacostraca) 2017

Australocytherideidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Arthropoda Crustacea Malacostraca)

Australomicroprotopidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Arthropoda Crustacea Malacostraca) 2016

Chillagoeidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Arthropoda Crustacea Malacostraca)

Condukiidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Arthropoda Crustacea Malacostraca)

Giniphargidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Arthropoda Crustacea Malacostraca)

Heloeciidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Arthropoda Crustacea Malacostraca)

Koonungidae 2 gen. 6 spp. (Arthropoda Crustacea Malacostraca)

Leptograpsodidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Arthropoda Crustacea Malacostraca) 2018

Lomisidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Arthropoda Crustacea Malacostraca)

Neoniphargidae 7 gen. 22 spp. (Arthropoda Crustacea Malacostraca)

Osticytheridae 1 gen. 2 spp. (Arthropoda Crustacea Malacostraca)

Perthiidae 1 gen. 2 spp. (Arthropoda Crustacea Malacostraca)

Phoratopodidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Arthropoda Crustacea Malacostraca)

Phreatoicopsidae 2 gen. 7 spp. (Arthropoda Crustacea Malacostraca)

Ponderellidae 1 gen. 2 spp. (Arthropoda Crustacea Malacostraca)

Psammaspididae 2 gen. 2 spp. (Arthropoda Crustacea Malacostraca)

Pseudocarcinidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Arthropoda Crustacea Malacostraca) 2020

Tainisopidae 2 gen. 7 spp. (Arthropoda Crustacea Malacostraca)

Uronyctidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Arthropoda Crustacea Malacostraca)

Whiteleggiidae 2 gen. 3 spp. (Arthropoda Crustacea Malacostraca)

Xenosellidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Arthropoda Crustacea Malacostraca)

Abrsiidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Arthropoda Crustacea Maxillopoda)

Kumongidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Arthropoda Crustacea Remipedia) 2013

Peterjohnsiidae 1 gen. 4 spp. (Arthropoda Diplopoda Chordeumatida)

Mastotermitidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Arthropoda Insecta Blattodea)

Acanthocnemidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Arthropoda Insecta Coleoptera)

Lamingtoniidae 1 gen. 3 spp. (Arthropoda Insecta Coleoptera)

Myraboliidae 1 gen. 13 spp. (Arthropoda Insecta Coleoptera)

Rhinorhipidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Arthropoda Insecta Coleoptera)

Tasmosalpingidae 1 gen. 2 spp. (Arthropoda Insecta Coleoptera)

Ironomyiidae 1 gen. 3 spp. (Arthropoda Insecta Diptera)

Ulurumyiidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Arthropoda Insecta Diptera) 2014

Valeseguyidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Arthropoda Insecta Diptera)

Australembiidae 1 gen. 18 spp. (Arthropoda Insecta Embioptera)

Aphylidae 2 gen. 3 spp. (Arthropoda Insecta Hemiptera)

Henicocoridae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Arthropoda Insecta Hemiptera)

Hyocephalidae 2 gen. 3 spp. (Arthropoda Insecta Hemiptera)

Lestoniidae 1 gen. 2 spp. (Arthropoda Insecta Hemiptera)

Tettigarctidae 1 gen. 2 spp. (Arthropoda Insecta Hemiptera)

Austrocynipidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Arthropoda Insecta Hymenoptera)

Austroniidae 1 gen. 3 spp. (Arthropoda Insecta Hymenoptera)

Peradeniidae 1 gen. 2 spp. (Arthropoda Insecta Hymenoptera)

Stenotritidae 2 gen. 21 spp. (Arthropoda Insecta Hymenoptera)

Aenigmatineidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Arthropoda Insecta Lepidoptera) 2015

Anomosetidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Arthropoda Insecta Lepidoptera)

Carthaeidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Arthropoda Insecta Lepidoptera)

Cyclotornidae 1 gen. 5 spp. (Arthropoda Insecta Lepidoptera)

Lophocoronidae 1 gen. 6 spp. (Arthropoda Insecta Lepidoptera)

Oenosandridae 4 gen. 8 spp. (Arthropoda Insecta Lepidoptera)

Apteropanorpidae 1 gen. 4 spp. (Arthropoda Insecta Mecoptera)

Choristidae 3 gen. 8 spp. (Arthropoda Insecta Mecoptera)

Hemiphlebiidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Arthropoda Insecta Odonata)

Lycopsyllidae 4 gen. 8 spp. (Arthropoda Insecta Siphonaptera)

Macropsyllidae 2 gen. 3 spp. (Arthropoda Insecta Siphonaptera)

Antipodoeciidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Arthropoda Insecta Trichoptera)

Plectrotarsidae 3 gen. 5 spp. (Arthropoda Insecta Trichoptera)

Antichtopauropodidae 1 gen. 2 spp. (Arthropoda Pauropoda Tetramerocerata)

Neoeuthyroididae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Bryozoa Gymnolaemata ) 2020

Atrichornithidae 1 gen. 2 spp. (Chordata Birds )

Corcoracidae 2 gen. 2 spp. (Chordata Birds )

Dasyornithidae 1 gen. 3 spp. (Chordata Birds )

Falcunculidae 1 gen. 3 spp. (Chordata Birds )

Menuridae 1 gen. 2 spp. (Chordata Birds )

Pardalotidae 1 gen. 4 spp. (Chordata Birds )

Pedionomidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Chordata Birds )

Carphodactylidae 7 gen. 30 spp. (Chordata Reptiles )

Dinolestidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Chordata Actinopteri Acropomatiformes)

Enoplosidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Chordata Actinopteri Centrarchiformes)

Lepidogalaxiidae * 1 gen. 1 spp. (Chordata Actinopteri Lepidogalaxiformes)

Caesioscorpididae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Chordata Actinopteri Perciformes)

Pseudaphritidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Chordata Actinopteri Perciformes)

Neoceratodontidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Chordata Dipneusti Ceratodontiformes)

Brachaeluridae 1 gen. 2 spp. (Chordata Elasmobranchii Orectolobiformes)

Hypnidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Chordata Elasmobranchii Torpediniformes)

Chaeropodidae 1 gen. 2 spp. (2 EX) (Chordata Mammals )

Hypsiprymnodontidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Chordata Mammals )

Myrmecobiidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Chordata Mammals )

Notoryctidae * 1 gen. 2 spp. (Chordata Mammals Notoryctemorphia )

Ornithorhynchidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Chordata Mammals )

Phascolarctidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Chordata Mammals )

Potoroidae 4 gen. 12 (4 EX) spp. (Chordata Mammals )

Tarsipedidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Chordata Mammals )

Thylacinidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (EX) (Chordata Mammals )

Thylacomyidae 1 gen. 2 spp. (1 EX) (Chordata Mammals )

Vombatidae 2 gen. 3 spp. (Chordata Mammals )

Carphodactylidae 7 gen. 34 spp. (Chordata Reptiles )

Pseudogorgiidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Cnidaria Anthozoa )

Skamnariidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Cnidaria Anthozoa ) 2022

Csiromedusidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Cnidaria Hydrozoa )

Bazingidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Cnidaria Scyphozoa ) 2013

Aporometridae 1 gen. 3 spp. (Echinodermata Crinoidea )

Ptilometridae 1 gen. 2 spp. (Echinodermata Crinoidea )

Trigoniidae * 1 gen. 8 spp. (Mollusca Bivalvia Trigoniida )

Choriplacidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Mollusca Chitonida )

Ascorhiidae 1 gen. 2 spp. (Mollusca Gastropoda ) 2023

Beddomeiidae 3 gen. 58 spp. (Mollusca Gastropoda ) 2023

Calopiidae 1 gen. 3 spp. (Mollusca Gastropoda )

Campanilidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Mollusca Gastropoda )

Caryodidae 7 gen. 18 spp. (Mollusca Gastropoda )

Diastomatidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Mollusca Gastropoda )

Emblandidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Mollusca Gastropoda )

Hydrococcidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Mollusca Gastropoda )

Maningrididae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Mollusca Gastropoda )

Notomeniidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Mollusca Solenogastres )

Acholadidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Platyhelminthes Rhabditophora )

Gibsonivermidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Platyhelminthes Trematoda ) 2018

Moreauiidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Platyhelminthes Trematoda )

Vitrumidae 1 gen. 1 spp. (Tunicata Ascidiacea )