After 72 years since its last sighting, the Atyopsis spinipes, also known as the bamboo shrimp, has been found in multiple locations across India. A team from the Centre for Climate Change Studies at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology in Chennai confirmed the sighting of the shrimp to the Times of India.
Dr. S. Prakash, an expert in shrimp biology, Ph.D. scholar K. Kunjulakshmi, and researcher Maclean Antony Santos led the research team that found the shrimp in freshwater ecosystems in Karnataka and Odisha after a reported sighting in 2022.
Bamboo shrimp are highly affected by human behavior, as they feed in well-oxygenated water. They are filter feeders that use fan-shaped appendages that capture their food and filter out the rest. If the water is polluted, they cannot feed.
Because of this ability, shrimp health is a good indicator of the environmental health of the area.
The rediscovery of this shrimp species points to multiple gaps in research. Earlier records only showed the species' presence in Odisha, so Karnataka wasn't an original target. However, researchers soon realized that their amphidromous life cycle could allow the species to lay larvae in different habitats.
Amphidromous species lay larvae in brackish water before migrating to fresh water upon maturation, leading the team to discover that bamboo shrimp could likely be found in freshwater systems that interact with coastal habitats.
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Another confusion in the research was that researchers misidentified previously discovered bamboo shrimp and assumed they were the Atyopsis spinipes, the Singapore flower shrimp. This highlights the need for more genetic validation and systematic surveys, as misidentification can lead to conservation planning efforts for the wrong species.
Freshwater ecosystems across India are already suffering significant damage from human activity, including agricultural waste, air pollution, sand mining, construction waste, and habitat changes. Discoveries like this show that certain species can adapt, more natural spaces need to be protected, and more research funding is needed to fully understand the diversity of life in India and to preserve marine populations.
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