A research team from Berhampur University in Odisha has identified a new species of marine amphipod, a shrimp-like crustacean from the Parhyale genus, within the Chilika Lake—the largest brackish water lagoon in Asia. The newly identified species has been named Parhyale odian, paying homage to the local language, Odia, as the discovery was made within the state.
This addition raises the global count of Parhyale species to 16, according to the researchers involved. Their findings were published in the journal Zootaxa on, under the title A New Species of Amphipod of the Genus Parhyale from Chilika Lagoon, India.
The research team collected four specimens of the amphipod from the intertidal zones of Chilika’s Barkul area, along with the seaweed Gracilaria, on November 24, 2022. After careful lab examination, the team concluded that this species was distinct from others within the genus. Their work was later confirmed by an international expert on amphipod taxonomy.
The specimens have been stored at the Estuarine Biology Regional Centre of the Zoological Survey of India, located at Gopalpur-On-Sea, for further analysis.
The new species is brown in color, measures around 8 millimeters in length, and possesses 13 pairs of legs. Its first pair of legs, known as gnathopods, is specialized for grasping prey. The species is particularly unique due to the presence of a stout, spine-like seta on the male’s first pair of legs, setting it apart from other members of the Parhyale genus.
The genus Parhyale was originally documented in 1899 and is known for inhabiting both marine and brackish water environments. It has a wide global distribution across tropical and temperate coastal regions, often found under stones or within burrows alongside marine vegetation.
Amphipods play a critical ecological role within marine food chains and are considered valuable indicators of climate change and ecosystem health. The researchers noted that further studies are planned to explore the ecological functions of these organisms in greater depth.
This latest discovery builds on the research team’s recent findings, which included three additional amphipod species identified in 2023—two within Chilika Lake and one along the West Bengal coast.
