The discovery of the new colourful crayfish species that has a turquoise and orange shell is believed to have been known to locals for some time, but has been mistaken for other species in the Cherax genus, according to Sci-News.
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The crayfish, a small freshwater arthropod, is blue in color with bright orange-tipped claws. Its “godfather” is famous for leaking secretive information from the U.S. National Security Agency, which later led him to a continuous search for political asylum.
The species called Cherax snowden was exported from Sorong, Indonesia in 2006.
German researcher Christian Lukhaup and his colleagues, who gave the name to the new crayfish species, clearly wrote in the study. Through this step, the researchers wanted to show that Snowden has something very special. Scientists believe it may be necessary to protect the Cherax snowden, the release said. It’s ornamental appearance makes it popular with aquarium hobbyists in Europe, East Asia, and North America, but is indigenous to West Papua, Indonesia.
The researchers described the recently found species in an article published on Monday in the journal ZooKeys. The team used sequence divergence in order to prove that it was really a distinct species.
The Post reports that, while controversial in the United States, Snowden “enjoys wide support in Germany, where a Dresden square was named after the former contractor in June. He is honored due to of his extraordinary achievements in defense of justice, and freedom”, the scientists wrote in the paper.
One thing is clear that the continued collecting of these crayfish for the trade is not a great thing.
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As Cherax snowden is collected in large numbers for the global aquarium trade, as well as for food for the growing local population, the crayfish population will invariably be adversely impacted. The study warned that species popularity may pose a serious threat, as its population has greatly decreased in recent years.
