Scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences have officially announced the discovery of a new crustacean species in the Xinjiang region of northwestern China.
According to the research team, the new species belongs to the amphipod crustacean family and was found in a freshwater lake in the Altai Mountains of Xinjiang. The scientists have named it Gammarus altaiensis, based on the discovery site.
Research results show that the new crustacean has distinct morphological characteristics compared to previously known species of the same genus, including body structure and tail details. DNA analysis also confirmed it as an independent species.
This discovery adds to the list of new organisms recorded in China this year, amid efforts by scientists to intensify biodiversity surveys in understudied areas such as Xinjiang.
The research team stated that the findings have been published in a specialized scientific journal, and they will continue further surveys to understand the ecology, distribution of the new species, and its relationship with the habitat.
