Parhyale Odian | 27 Feb 2024

Source: DTE

Why in News?

Researchers from Odisha’s Berhampur University discovered a new species of marine amphipod in Chilika Lake. It has been named Parhyale Odian after Odisha’s native language, Odia.

What are Amphipods?

  • Amphipods are a diverse group of malacostracan crustaceans, meaning they share some features with crabs, lobsters, and shrimp.
  • They have a laterally compressed body, meaning they are flattened from side to side, and a curved body shape.
    • The whale lice found on the bodies of whales and dolphins are actually a type of amphipod.
  • Amphipods, including those of the genus Parhyale, play a vital role in the marine ecosystem.
    • They contribute to the marine food chain and serve as indicators for studying the impact of climate change and the health of coastal ecosystems.
  • In 2023, researchers discovered three new marine amphipods: Quadrivisio chilikensis and Demaorchestia alanensis in Chilika Lake and Talorchestia buensis on the West Bengal coast.

What are the Characteristics of Genus Parhyale and Parhyale Odian?

  • Genus Parhyale:
    • The genus Parhyale, first reported in 1899 from the Virgin Islands (US), comprises 15 species globally.
      • The present contribution has added one more species to the genus Parhyale, raising the global species number in the group to 16.
    • These amphipods inhabit both marine and brackish water environments.
    • They are cosmopolitan, found in intertidal and littoral environments across tropical and warm temperate regions.
      • They are commonly found underneath stones with attached vegetation or in the burrows of isopods.
  • Parhyale Odian:
    • It is a shrimp-like crustacean of the genus Parhyale.
    • It is brown in colour, approximately 8 millimetres in length, and possesses 13 pairs of legs.
    • The first pair of legs is specialized for capturing prey and feeding.
    • Unlike the other 15 known species in the genus, Parhyale Odian stands out due to a stout robust seta- a spine-like structure on the surface of the male gnathopod (first pair of legs).

Note: Chilika Lake is the largest brackish water lagoon in Asia and the second-largest coastal lagoon in the world.

  • It is located on the east coast of India, at the mouth of the Daya River, which flows into the Bay of Bengal.
  • Due to its rich biological diversity, Lake Chilika was the first Indian wetland of international importance to be designated under the Ramsar Convention in 1981.
  • The unusual hydrological diversity gives Lake Chilika the characteristics of a lake, estuary and lagoon.

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Question:

Q. Which one of the following is the correct sequence of a food chain? (2014)

(a) Diatoms-Crustaceans-Herrings

(b) Crustaceans-Diatoms-Herrings

(c) Diatoms-Herrings-Crustaceans

(d) Crustaceans-Herrings-Diatomsol

Ans: (a)