Photo: James Kempton, Expedition Cyclops 2023
In a scientific expedition to the Cyclops Mountains in Papua, Indonesia, researchers stumbled upon a groundbreaking discovery—an entirely new genus of shrimp. The unexpected find occurred during the perilous 2023 expedition, which also brought to light the resurrection of a species believed extinct since the 1960s: Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna, Zaglossus attenboroughi.
The surprise revelation of the echidna, named after renowned wildlife broadcaster Sir David Attenborough, occurred through camera traps on the very last day of the expedition. Dr. James Kempton, the lead scientist from Oxford University, emphasized the extraordinary nature of this discovery.
While the echidna captured global attention, the expedition team concurrently unearthed a more inconspicuous yet equally intriguing revelation—a new genus of ground- and tree-dwelling shrimp. Contrary to the norm for these crustaceans, which typically inhabit water, this new genus was found thriving in the heart of the forest.
Dr. Leonidas-Romanos Davranoglou, the lead entomologist for the expedition, expressed astonishment at the shrimp’s unconventional habitat. The team believes that the Cyclops Mountains’ high rainfall levels create optimal humidity for these shrimps to exist entirely on land. This departure from their typical seaside habitat raises questions about the genus’s adaptation mechanisms, especially regarding breathing outside of water.
Standard shrimp extract oxygen from water using gills and are adapted to either marine or freshwater environments. The newfound genus’s ability to thrive inland suggests a unique adaptation for breathing, possibly influenced by rainfall and humidity in the Cyclops Mountains. This groundbreaking discovery adds a fascinating dimension to our understanding of crustacean habitats and adaptations.