New crustacean Species

20.02.2024

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Why in the news?

Researchers at Odisha’s Berhampur University recently found a new crustacean in Odisha’s Chilika lagoon.

About the New Crustacean Species:

• It is a new species of marine amphipod-a shrimp-like crustacea of genus Parhyale.
• This genus is represented by 15 species globally, occupying both marine and brackish water environments.

Features:

○It is brown in colour and around eight mm in length.

○It has 13 pairs of legs. The first pair of legs is used for capturing prey and feeding.

○It differs from all other 15 species by having a stout robust seta — a spine-like structure on the surface of the propodus of the male gnathopod (first pair of legs).

What are Amphipods?

• Amphipods are any member of the invertebrate order Amphipoda (class Crustacea) inhabiting all parts of the sea, lakes, rivers, sand beaches, caves, and moist (warm) habitats on many tropical islands.
• Amphipods are a significant group in the marine ecosystem and play a vital role in the marine food chain.
• They range in size from a millimeter in length to the supergiant amphipod Alicella gigantea at 340 mm.
• They can be found in all marine habitats (even the deepest ocean trenches, e.g., Hirondellea dubia), and have also colonized freshwater and terrestrial habitats.
• The generic diversity of amphipods is apparently higher in cold waters than in warm ones.
• They are important food for many fish, invertebrates, penguins, shore birds, small cetaceans, and pinnipeds.
• Most amphipods are active swimmers, propelled by three pairs of abdominal appendages.
• They also serve as indicators for studying the impact of climate change and the health of coastal ecosystems.

                                                           Source: Down to earth