- Researchers at the Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) have identified a new species of marine tardigrade which they have named after the late former President and scientist A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
- Named ‘Batillipes kalami’, the new species of tardigrades was found by researchers in the intertidal beach sediments of Mandapam coast, close to Kalam’s birthplace in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu.
Batillipes kalami
- The newly-discovered species is approximately 0.17mm long and 0.05mm wide, characterized by four pairs of legs.
- It belongs to the phylum Tardigrada, which comprises more than 1,300 described species.
- Of them, just 17% are marine species.
- Batillipes kalami is the 37th species under the genus Batillipes. Few morphological variations among species and limited number of differential characters make its taxonomy challenging and problematic.
- Though studies on tardigrades are increasing worldwide, the phylum remains unexplored. Studies from India are in the evolving stages.
- This is the second time a marine tardigrade is described from Indian waters – the first time from the east coast.In 2021, the same research team discovered a marine tardigrade from the southwest coast and named it ‘Stygarctus keralensis’ after the state of Kerala.
Tardigrades
- Tardigrades, often referred to as water bears, are eight-legged micro-animals found in the water.
- They are known for extraordinary resilience and survival abilities in extreme environmental conditions.
- They are considered to be one of the toughest organisms on earth, having survived all five mass extinctions, and are also the first known animal to survive in space.
- Ecologically, they act as pioneer species by inhabiting new developing environments, attracting other invertebrates to colonise the space.