When a team of scientists studying the brightly colored and common New Guinea crayfish ordered some new animals for their laboratory, they were in for a bit of a surprise. They discovered a species of crustacean that is completely new to science. This species is called the dusty crayfish (Cherax pulverulentus) and is described in a study published Jan. 9 in the journal Zootaxa.
This crayfish– also called spiny lobsters or crawdads – are originally from New Guinea. Their cool tones have made them popular aquarium pets in Europe, Indonesia, Japan and the United States over the past two decades. Pet traders have sold the crayfish under various names, but scientists have yet to formally classify most of them.
“My team oversees, among other things, the pet trade (aquarium trade), because wild-caught crayfish are exported in large quantities from the island of New Guinea to the rest of the world.” Jiří Patokasays co-author and zoologist at the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague Popular science. “Some of them are formally undescribed and assessment of their population trend is therefore impossible.”
In the new studyPatoka and his colleagues purchased a batch of Indonesian crayfish in March 2023. As they searched through their shipment, they found several of the brightly colored crayfish. They went to take a closer look six of these crayfish and analyzed their DNA. The genetic analysis showed that it was a new species: the dusty crayfish.
Dusty crayfish generally have smooth bodies, large eyes and claws. They also have two general color forms: purple and blue. The purple crayfish has turquoise bodies and purple spots, with joints and tails in a light white shade. The blue crayfish are darker and their joints and tails are orange.
“Like the other members of this genus, this crayfish is aggressive, purely freshwater (inhabiting streams and perhaps also lake ecosystems), probably moderately burrowing, omnivorous and gonochoristic,” Patoka explains. “The estimated lifespan is 5 to 10 years, the estimated total body length is 12-17 cm [4.7 to 6.6 inches].”
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They are also one burrowing species and are found in the Indonesian part of New Guinea. This island north of Australia also includes the mainland of Papua New Guinea. Other than that, not much else is known about how this species lives in the wild. The team did it find a dusty crayfish in a thermal spring in Hungary. They believe this stray fish escaped from the aquarium or was released there by its owner.
Patoka says his team will continue to monitor the pet trade. They are also working with Institut Pertanian Bogor and Universitas Terbuka in Indonesia to organize a research trip to study the dusty crayfish in its natural habitat and potentially collect even more scientifically undescribed species.
“Crayfish are just one group of amazing animals native to New Guinea, an island that faces many environmental risks. In this regard, we believe that our findings will help highlight the importance of this island from a biodiversity perspective and encourage more conservation activities,” says Patoka. “Last but not least, I would like to warn aquarium owners: don’t leave your pets outside!”