New Crayfish Species Named After Edward Snowden
Posted on September 3, 2015
A new crayfish has been discovered in Indonesia. For years the crayfish has been confused with its relatives by tradesmen who have been collecting and selling the crayfish. The crayfish has been exported to countries in Europe, East Asia and the Americas.
The crayfish was recognized by a team of German researchers led by Christian Lukhaup, a research associate at Humbold University in Berlin. The researchers say the crayfish species has probably been sold under another name for decades. However, they say it is easily distinguishable from other crayfish by the shape of its body and its colorations. DNA analysis was also used to confirm the crayfish is a separate species.
The crayfish has been named Cherax Snowden after Edward Snowden, the controversial former CIA employee famous for leaking details about Internet and phone surveillance being conducted by the U.S. National Security Agency. The study authors say Snowden is an American freedom fighter with "achievements in defence of justice, and freedom."
The researchers published a paper on the crayfish here in the journal, ZooKeys. The researchers say, "Clearly, the continued collection of these crayfish for the trade is not a sustainable practice, and if the popularity of the species continues, a conservation management plan will have to be developed, potentially including a captive breeding program."