New Species: Crayfish, Different From The Others

A certain kind of Indonesian crayfish, greenish-orange in color, was recently recognized by scientists as a unique species and dubbed Cherax snowden. As a result, it might escape its former fate of being shipped around the globe as a pretty or edible object, a release said.

The scientists came across the crayfish after it was shipped far from its home in West Papua, New Guinea, a territory of Indonesia. Until now, this type of crayfish has been mistaken for myriad other freshwater crayfish, which are often exported for food or ornamental purposes. Scientists believe it may be necessary to protect the Cherax snowden, the release said.

According to the news release, this new freshwater crustacean was given its name after a former CIA employee and government contractor, Edward Snowden. Through their study, published in ZooKeys, the researchers explained that they used sequence divergence to prove it was a different species. However, they also found that there could be potential threats to this freshwater crayfish, since it is being collected in large numbers for both the ornamental fish global market and for food. When noting the species' population, collectors also said that there has been a decline in recent years.

"Clearly, the continued collection of these crayfish for the trade is not a sustainable practice, and if the popularity of the species continues, a conservation management plan will have to be developed, potentially including a captive breeding program," the researchers said in the release.

According to their study, the crayfish observed were collected from shallow tributary creeks to the Oinsok River, in the Kepala Burung Peninsula. The researchers also noted that the creeks were rocky with moderate flow, clear water, and usually no water plants were present. However, in order to better understand the distribution of the Cherax snowden species, more collection research is required, the statement noted.

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