For a crab, three millimetres is closer to the size of a crumb. That is exactly how small Pachycheles ravichandrani is, a newly described porcelain crab from the coral reef off Agatti.
Researchers at India’s National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources presented it alongside another discovery from Indian waters. The tiny crab belongs to a group that contributes to nutrient cycling on coral reefs.
It is a welcome counter-image to the usual picture of marine discoveries: no giant squid or deep-sea monster, just an animal that fits on a fingertip and is still new to science.
In brief
Porcelain crabs are small crustaceans and, despite their name, true crab relatives. Pachycheles ravichandrani lives on Agatti’s reef and at roughly three millimetres is indeed smaller than a fingertip.
Why it matters
A new species is more than a name. Even very small reef animals can participate in cycles that move nutrients and help keep an ecosystem healthy.
A closer look
The species is named for M. Ravichandran, a former Indian earth-science secretary. Features include bristles on parts of its shell and a distinctive shape of the smaller claw.
More facts
The Indian team also presented a new snake eel from the Bay of Bengal. The crab’s description appeared in the peer-reviewed journal Zootaxa.
How we know
This story is based on a publicly available original source.
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