Tiny new species discovered as scientists’ outback fishing trip bags exotic catch
Scientists uncover a variety of tiny aquatic animals, known as stygofauna, within aquifers in the Northern Territory.
Research scientists from Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, and Charles Darwin University used fishing rods and handlines to plumb the depths of underground aquifers in the Northern Territory revealing a diverse variety of tiny aquatic animals known as stygofauna, mostly between 0.3 and 10 millimetres in length.
Results confirm Northern Territory aquifers support a diverse range of stygofaunal species. All Beetaloo stygofaunal communities sampled were dominated by crustaceans, with with new genera and species likely to be present.
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