A female Leptestheria chalukyae clam shrimp. Credit: Sameer Padhye
Zoologists have discovered two new species of spiny clam shrimps in dry rock pools In Karnataka and Goa. These new species are genetically distinct from other Indian species1.
The finding can help design conservation measures for localities where such small animals are found, according to the international team of researchers behind the finds.
Clam shrimps are not related to clams. They have carapace which they shut when disturbed, making them look a lot like clam.
To explore their diversity in India, scientists led by Sameer M. Padhye and Mihir R. Kulkarni, isolated adult clam shrimp specimens from pools. After fixing them in ethanol, they examined and photographed the clam shrimps under a specific microscope.
The team, which included researchers at the Biologia Life Science LLP in Ahmednagar and the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology in Hyderabad, identified two new species ― Leptestheria chalukyae and Leptestheria gomantaki ― based on their head and tail characters and DNA sequence data.
L. chalukyae, named after the Chalukyas, a dynasty which ruled large parts of south India, differs from other Indian species in the dorsal part of head and terminal part of tail with spines, particularly in males. L. gomantaki, named after Goa, has a unique head morphology among the females.
Resting eggs produced by these animals tolerate dry environment and are carried by wind and birds. Clam shrimps evolved on the Indian subcontinent, lasting through geological upheavals such as the Deccan Volcanism and the formation of the Himalayas, the researchers note.
