Shillong : Scientists have discovered two new species of microscopic, vividly coloured snails in Meghalaya’s limestone caves, officials said on Wednesday. The finding sheds light on the region’s largely unexplored underground ecosystems, even as experts warn of threats from mining and increasing tourist activity, they said.
The discovery, published in the European Journal of Taxonomy recently, was made by researchers Nipu Kumar Das and Neelavar Ananthram Aravind of the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), who named the species as Georissa meghalayaensis and Acmella bensoni from the Krem Puri and Arwah cave systems, respectively.
The newly identified molluscs are extremely small and can easily escape notice without microscopic examination.
Georissa meghalayaensis, found near the entrance of Krem Puri cave earlier this year, is distinguished by its orangish-red shell and intricate mesh-like ridges, setting it apart from closely related species that typically possess yellowish shells with widely spaced spiral lines.
The species has been named after Meghalaya, where it is known to occur exclusively.
The Acmella bensoni, on the other hand, was discovered deeper inside the Krem Puri and Arwah caves.
It is characterised by a small, slightly translucent whitish shell with deeply impressed grooves and densely packed fine ribs, giving it an almost smooth appearance.
The researchers named it in honour of 19th-century naturalist William H Benson, regarded as a pioneer of Indian malacology, or the study of molluscs.
Meghalaya forms part of the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot, one of the world’s richest ecological regions, and is home to more than 1,200 limestone caves that provide ideal habitats for shell-bearing organisms, the researchers noted.
Despite this, the cave-dwelling micro-fauna of the region has remained poorly documented, they added.
In addition to the two new species, the researchers recorded several other micro-snails from neighbouring Manipur and Mizoram, expanding knowledge of the distribution of these little-known organisms across Northeast India.
However, the scientists have cautioned that growing tourist activity in popular caves, including heavy foot traffic, installation of artificial lighting and construction of stairways, could disturb the fragile subterranean ecosystems.
They also warned that limestone mining and habitat alteration pose significant risks to these specialised species, underscoring the need for conservation measures to protect the region’s unique underground biodiversity.
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