KOMPAS.com - Spesies baru lobster raksasa ditemukan di sebuah teluk kecil di Tennessee, Amerika Serikat. Hasil penemuan ini baru saja dipublikasikan di Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
Ilmuwan dari University of Illinois di Urbana-Campaign dan Eastern Kentucky University yang terlibat penelitian itu mengatakan, ukuran lobster ini dua kali lebih besar dari lobster lain.
"Ini bukan spesies lobster dimana sembarang orang bisa mengambilnya dan mengatakan, oh ini berbeda dengan lobster lainnya," kata Chris Taylor, ahli biologi perairan dari University of illinois kemarin (20/1/11) pada media.
Taylor mengatakan, cukup sulit untuk mengetahui kebaruan spesies lobster ini. "Anda harus menyadari adanya sesuatu yang benar-benar berbeda. Kemudian anda akan mengetahuinya," tukas Taylor.
Spesies baru lobster raksasa ini bernama Barbicambarus simmonsi. Panjangnya kurang lebih 5 inchi, dilengkapi dengan antena yang memiliki struktur semacam bulu rambut yang disebut setae.
Spesies ini pertama ditemukan di bawah sebuah batu terbesar di perairan terdalam teluk kecil Tennessee. Temuan ini menjadi bukti bahwa spesies baru bisa ditemukan di wilayah dengan kepadatan populasi yang tinggi.
Diketahui, lebih dari separuh dari 600 spesies lobster yang ada di dunia terdapat di Amerika Utara. Peneliti mengatakan, hal itu bisa menjadi satu alasan untuk tak cuma memfokuskan eksplorasi di wilayah Amazon dan Asia Tenggara saja.
New Species Discovered Giant Lobster
KOMPAS.com - a new species of giant lobster was found in a small bay in Tennessee, USA. The result of this discovery was just published in the Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
Scientists from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Campaign and Eastern Kentucky University which involved the study said, the size of lobsters was two times greater than other lobsters.
"This is not a species of lobster that just anyone can pick it up and say, oh this is different from other lobsters," said Chris Taylor, a marine biologist from the University of Illinois yesterday (20/1/11) on the media.
Taylor says, is quite difficult to know the newness of this lobster species. "You should be aware of something completely different. Then you will know about it," said Taylor.
The new species is a giant lobster named Barbicambarus simmonsi. Approximately 5 inches in length, equipped with antennas that have similar structures called setae hair fur.
The species was first found under a stone in the largest cove deepest waters of Tennessee. This finding is evidence that new species can be found in areas with high population density.
Known, more than half of the 600 species of lobster in the world located in North America. Researchers said it could be one reason for not only the focus of exploration in the Amazon region and Southeast Asia alone.
