A team of scientists from the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) led by Dr Tammy Horton has recently discovered two new species of submarine shrimp-like creature tag as Lemarete and Haptocallisoma, which belongs to the Amphipods family-group.
"Amphipods are incredibly diverse and adaptable; there are currently around 10, 000 species known to science. They live in all marine environments, from shallow waters to the ocean's deepest trenches, on land and in fresh water," said Horton in an article released by the NOC. The study was published in Zootaxa.
The report cited that the two newly discovered species were capable of 'stripping' a pig carcass in a matter of days.
The newly discovered species were named after the great taxonomist, who passed away early this year, Roger Bamber. The latter is known for his great contributions in Taxonomy, the science of description, naming and classification of animals or plants.
According to Horton, 'lemarete' means 'Bold and Excellent' in Greek while the Haptocallisoma means grasping.
".....'Bold and Excellent', which is the motto on Roger Bamber's coat of arms. I chose this name because it is an accurate description of Roger, as well as being a little cryptic," Horton cited.
"The study also describes two groups of closely related species (genera), one of which has been named Haptocallisoma, which means grasping in Greek, because their feet are able to cling to whatever they are eating."
The study is part of the NOC's ongoing research on the deep-sea environment.
