Researchers recently discovered a freshwater crab species, ‘Ghatiana sanguinolenta’ from the Balekoppa village of Sirsi district in northern Karnataka.
Ghatiana sanguinolenta is a newly discovered species of freshwater crab.
The crab gets its name from the Latin word ‘sanguinolenta’, meaning ‘red’ or ‘bloodcoloured’.
The crab’s blood-red colour and the outwardly curved article of the first part of the male ‘gonopod’ (genetalia) distinguish it from other species in the Ghatiana subgenus.
It is currently known only from the type locality, which is situated in the Central Western Ghats of India.
It is about 1.1 inches wide and about 0.7 inches long.
It has a “broad,” “strongly arched” body and small eyes.
Its body has a rich and relatively uniform burgundy red colouring, while the tips of its claws are a lighter cherry red.
It predominantly resides in water collected within tree trunks and exhibits heightened activity during the rainy season.
