Thai, Singaporean researchers discover new freshwater crab species
A new species of vampire crab “Geosesarma Todaeng” has been discovered in a freshwater swamp forest in Narathiwat province, south of Thailand, in a collaboration between Thai and Singaporean research institutes.
The discovery was published in the 23rd issue of the “Tropical Natural History” journal this week.
Leading the Thai researchers was Pan Yeesin of Technology and Industries Department, Faculty of Science and Technology at Prince of Songkla University in Pattani province.
His department has been working in collaboration with researchers from Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Natural History Museum in Songkhla province, and Professor Peter Ng of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, National University of Singapore.
According to Pan, Geosesarma Todaeng vampire crabs were found residing in the root system of Lum Phee (eleiodoxa conferta), a palm-family plant found in a swamp forest in Narathiwat.
This lowland species belongs to the G. foxi species group and can be distinguished from congeners by its carapace, male pleon and male first gonopod features.
Like many geosesarma crabs, the Todaeng variant has a square carapace, yellow or orange claws and black or brow legs, but its carapace will have a more prominent arc when viewed from the front, said Pan.
The discovery of Geosesarma Todaeng brings the number of Geosesarma species known from Thailand to three. The other members of G. foxi species group that were previously recorded are the G. Krathing found in Chanthaburi province and the G. Serenei found in Nakhon Si Thammarat province.
Reungrit Phromdam, a scientist at Sirindhorn Natural History Museum, said that Thai researchers would continue to survey swamp forests in southern Thailand for crabs in the Geosesarma family that might have never been officially reported.
He added that the crabs in this family have never been found in canals or waterways connecting to the swamp forests or mangrove forests, or leading to the sea.
