A new species of beautifully colored crab has been discovered in Thong Pha Phum in Kanchanaburi province by a 48-year-old local farmer Jirapan Khankaew
He was delighted when he found these stunning crabs in his rubber plantation. The new crab species is to be officially registered through academic channels.
Jirapan, resident of Ban Khanun Kli 1, Tha Khanun sub district, Thong Pha Phum district, Kanchanaburi province, shared the beauty of this new crab species on social media platforms such as Facebook and TikTok.
He expressed his excitement and happiness after being informed by the district fisheries department on August 10 that the four crabs he had sent to the Kanchanaburi Freshwater Fisheries Research and Development Center for inspection since June 21 were indeed a new species of freshwater crab.
The crabs that Jirapan sent belong to the genus Thaiphusa. The District Fisheries Department is in the process of preparing academic documentation for publication in a scientific journal. Once this is published, the research center will be notified and further action will be taken.
Phaisan Ratana, the district’s fisheries officer, mentioned that this discovery of a new crab species will positively impact environmental and natural conservation in the Thong Pha Phum area. It could potentially become a future learning resource and tourist attraction.
The newly discovered crab species is characterized by its purple coloration of the carapace, with orange-yellow legs and pincers. The last segment of the legs and the pincers are colored white. The width of the carapace is about 3.5 centimeters. Both males and females have similar characteristics, especially in the abdominal area.
Thong Pha Phum district is famous for the discovery of the crab species Thaiphusa sirikit, also known as “rule grave” in English. Today, this crab is considered a protected and rare wildlife species and has become a symbol of Thong Pha Phum district that everyone knows.
