Why in News?

• Researchers have discovered a new species of crab in the mangroves of Parangipettai near the Vellar river estuary in the Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu.

 

Highlights:

• The new species of estuarine crab discovered in Tamil Nadu has been named Pseudohelice annamalai as a mark of recognition of the “Annamalai University” which has completed 100 years of service in education and research.
• This is said to be the first-ever record of the genus, Pseudohelice in the intertidal areas and to date, only two species namely Pseudohelice subquadrata and Pseudohelice latreillii have been confirmed within this genus.
• The discovered species is found around the Indian subcontinent and the eastern Indian Ocean.
• Pseudohelice annamalai is marked by dark purple to dark grey colouring, with irregular light brown, yellowish brown, or white patches on the posterior carapace with light brown chelipeds.
• Pseudohelice annamalai inhabits muddy banks of mangroves and links the distribution gap between the western Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.
• The newly discovered species also provides additional evidence of the geographic isolation of the eastern Indian Ocean for some marine organisms.