A new species of marine tardigrade discovered from the southeast coast of Tamil Nadu has been named Batillipes chandrayaani after the Chandrayaan-3 moon mission by researchers at the Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat).
- It is the third marine tardigrade species to have been scientifically described from the Indian waters and the second from the east coast.
- Batillipes chandrayaani has been discovered in the intertidal beach sediments at Mandapam in Tamil Nadu.
- It grows to a length of 0.15 millimetres and 0.04 millimetres in width. It has a trapezoid-shaped head and four pairs of legs with sharp-tipped sensory spines.
Tardigrades
- Tardigrades are microscopic marvels commonly known as ‘water bears,’ although they have no relation to actual bears.
- Marine tardigrades account for 17% of all known tardigrade species. They are also found in all the oceans.
- These animals are measured in micrometre and researchers use advanced microscopes to study them.
- Despite their tiny physiques, these micro-metazoans easily rank among the hardiest animals, enduring mass extinctions and are highly regarded for their survival skills.
