This week, an Indonesian crayfish species has been named after the man who helped inform the public about mass US government surveillance.
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Lukhaup describes the species-which he named Cherax snowden, after the former NSA contractor and whistleblower-in the most recent issue of the journal ZooKeys. 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.
Now German researcher Christian Lukhaup and two of his colleagues are saying that the crayfish had previously been misidentified as a similar species.
While continuing to fight for privacy rights of individuals online from his secure location in Russian Federation, Edward Snowden now at least has someone – or something – providing a namesake distraction, at least on the bottom of rivers of New Guinea. “He is honored due to of his extraordinary achievements in defense of justice, and freedom”, the scientists wrote in the paper. “I think what he did is something very special”.
However, just like the real Edward Snowden, Cherax snowden is being hunted, possibly close to extinction, by local traders looking to sell the exotic species.
The species are called Cherax Snowden. The news species measures at about 3 to 4 inches in length and has green-and-orange pinchers.
In their conclusion the authors note that there could be potential threats to the new species. It’s ornamental appearance makes it popular with aquarium hobbyists in Europe, East Asia, and North America, but is indigenous to West Papua, Indonesia.
Local collectors are also reporting a decrease in the population of new species in the last few years.
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“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 comment.
