New freshwater crab species discovered in Quảng Ninh, Vietnam
A brand-new species of crab has been discovered during a survey by scientists to inventory biodiversity and build a biodiversity database for Quảng Ninh, a coastal province in northeastern Vietnam.
Specimens of the new crab were unveiled on 11 December at a ceremony handing over biological specimens to the Quảng Ninh Museum for display and scientific research. The event, held at the museum, was organized by the Quảng Ninh provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment together with the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources and the Institute of Marine Environment and Resources, both part of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology.
The new freshwater crab has been found on several islands in Quảng Ninh. (Photo: Đồ Hùng).
Notably, among the specimens was an entirely new crab species, discovered while scientists were surveying, inventorying and building a biodiversity database for Quảng Ninh province.
The find is part of the results of the "Project to survey, assess and build a biodiversity database for Quảng Ninh province".
Of the 22 biological specimens the provincial museum received on this occasion, highlights include 11 specimens of 9 commercially valuable squid species that are widespread in Quảng Ninh's waters. Eight specimens of 4 small octopus species of the genus Amphioctopus are recorded for the first time, adding to the list of cephalopods known from Quảng Ninh's waters and from the coastal waters of the western Gulf of Tonkin more broadly. One specimen of a large octopus species is the first record of that species in Vietnamese waters.
Most notably, there are also 2 specimens of a new species of freshwater crab (Chinapotamon insulare), which is found only on a few islands in Quảng Ninh (Ba Mùn, Cái Lim, Cô Tô and Thanh Lân). At the time of the ceremony, the description of the new species had been submitted to the respected international journal Zootaxa for publication.
Leading scientists say that although the number of specimens is small, they are highly significant, further underscoring the biodiversity value of Quảng Ninh's coastal waters and islands. Adding these specimens to the provincial museum's displays is expected to attract scientists from around the world to study them and to improve the quality of the exhibits for visitors.
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