- 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. - Their diet consists of insects and algae.
- Male and female crabs share the same coloration
