Discovered: A new species of tree-dwelling crab

There’s been no evidence of tree-dwelling crab species in India, until now. A team of researchers has just discovered the first arboreal crab species in Kerala.

The search for this species started in 2014, during a two-year survey of the freshwater crab fauna in the Western Ghats region of Kerala. During this period, the people of the Kani tribe reported sightings of "long-legged" tree crabs to the survey team. Although initial attempts at capturing this previously unknown crab were unsuccessful, the research team persisted.

Finally, in September last year, the researchers were able to capture a female and a large male specimen of this species, with the help of the Kani tribe. The new species has been named Kani maranjandu in recognition of their assistance.

The research findings, published in the Journal Of Crustacean Biology, report both a new genus and a new species of tree crabs. This remarkable discovery stresses the importance of habitat conservation in the Western Ghats, especially of large tree species. Without the water-holding hollows that are characteristic of larger trees, the survival of these arboreal crabs will be threatened.

The two specimens that were collected are now in the possession of the Zoological Survey of India, and can be seen in the museum collection of the Department of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, at the University of Kerala.

Photographs courtesy Dr A Biju Kumar