Our planet has all kinds of creatures in all sizes. Some of them are really huge and some of them are so small it may take a lot of effort to even spot them. Among such tiny creatures are micromolluscs. As the name suggests, they are molluses (shelled organisms) that are really small in size even when they are fully grown adults, include a variety of micro snails, which could be marine, freshwater, or land organisms
Recently, a new micro snail species was discovered in Meghalaya. The species is so tiny that the adults among them are smaller than two mm in length. The new species-Georissa mawsmaiensis- is named after Mawsmai, the limestone cave in which it was discovered. Found by researchers Nipu Kumar Das and NA Aravind of the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment. Bengaluru, this species is slightly different from Georissa sarrita, which was documented in 1851, a good 170 years ago. Though the new species was collected from wet limstone rocks in the cave, it is not clear yet if it is a true cave species or not
As with any species discovery, this one is exciting too, but the researchers have certain concerns. Continued tourist visits to the cave and mining in the region could alter the ecology of the place, negatively impacting these organisms. Further, there are hardly any studies on such creatures, meaning not enough is known or documented about them to protect them.
Picture Credit : Google
