‘Colorful’ clawed creature caught by pet traders in Indonesian river. See new species
Around the world, animals remain hidden and undiscovered in thick forests, rocky rivers and the depths of the ocean.
In some cases, it can take decades of searching through treacherous conditions for scientists to discover these creatures for the very first time.
In other cases, however, the new species are delivered right to your doorstep.
Researchers in Germany have discovered a new species of crayfish after it was collected in Indonesia and sent halfway around the world by animal dealers, according to a study published Dec. 20 in the peer-reviewed journal Arthropoda.
“According to the dealer, several people in the village collect these crayfish for the pet trade,” the study said. “After collection, they are kept for several days in cages in the river before the dealer picks them up and brings them to Merauke, from where they are shipped to Jakarta and then to Europe.”
One of these boxes, from KKCrayfish Farm in Jakarta, sparked the interests of scientists who took DNA samples from the animals and learned the species was new to science.
The male crayfish were a bit larger than the females, around 4.8 inches compared to 3.8 inches long, according to the study, but they have similar coloration.
The new species “usually have white to creamy and sometimes blueish-white chelae (pinchers or claws); the cephalon (or head) is bluish fading to creamy-white,” researchers said. The rest of the body is orange to yellow, and the animals’ tails have “blackish-green” or “dark green” and orange stripes.
The crayfish was named Cherax rayko after the study author’s son, researcher Chris Lukhaup said in a Dec. 21 Facebook post, because “Rayko is a constant provider of love and he gives me energy to go for projects.”
Within the pet trade, the creature is known as the “tiger crayfish,” researchers said.
The crayfish were found “under rocks and among roots and in debris along banks” of a creek in the Bian River drainage system, according to the study. It’s a shallow creek with “moderate flow,” and the bottom is made of silt or sandy soil.
“Crayfish hide in short burrows in the riverbank, under larger rocks, or in detritus that is present in all parts of the creek,” researchers said.
Cherax rayko belongs to a group of “colorful crayfish” that are part of the ornamental fish trade in Europe and Asia, researchers said. They are commonly traded and sold under names like “tiger” and “zebra” because of their striped tails.
Dealers never specific exactly where the crayfish came from, according to the study, so it wasn’t until the researchers saw photos of the animals and then received samples in Germany that their status as a new species could be confirmed.
The study confirmed the species is native to the Muting District of Indonesia, an area in the southeastern corner on Indonesia’s side of the island shared with Papua New Guinea, just north of Australia.
The research team includes Lukhaup, Rury Eprilurahman and Thomas von Rintelen.
This story was originally published December 23, 2024 at 11:14 AM with the headline "‘Colorful’ clawed creature caught by pet traders in Indonesian river. See new species."
