Berhampur: Researchers from the PG department of Marine Sciences at Berhampur University have discovered a new species of marine amphipod from the rocky intertidal coast of Arjyapalli. The tiny crustacean named ‘Elasmopus arjyaensis’ was identified through both morphological and DNA-based analysis and has now been published in the international journal on Marine Biodiversity.
The discovery amplifies the number of known Elasmopus species in India to 12 and highlights Odisha’s rich yet understudied marine biodiversity. Researchers said the species may have a wider Indo-Pacific distribution, with related genetic sequences also reported from China. The study was carried out by Shreeraj Nahak, Suman Patra and Shesdev Patro with funds available under the ‘Mukhyamantri Research Innovation Extramural Programme’ of the Odisha State Higher Education Council.
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