TEHRAN – A species of aquatic crustacean named triops cancriformis or tadpole shrimp, known worldwide as ‘living fossil’, has been spotted in Hamoun International Wetland, southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan Province.

Dating back approximately 200 million years, triops cancriformis is considered a living fossil whose detection is of significant ecological and scientific importance, particularly for biodiversity assessment and conservation efforts.

Hamoun International Wetland is considered one of the most important habitats of aquatic and terrestrial migratory birds and has been a shelter for many rare and endangered species for years.

Measuring between 2 and 11 centimeters in length, triops cancriformis belongs to the class Branchiopoda. Its drought-resistant eggs are capable of remaining dormant in the soil for over two decades and hatch once temporary ponds or dams are replenished with water.

The Hamouns are transboundary wetlands on the Iran-Afghan border made up of three lakes: Hamoun-e Helmand, which is entirely in Iran, Hamoun-e Sabari on the border, and Hamoun-e Puzak, almost entirely inside Afghanistan. The three lakes are linked and fed by water from the Helmand River which starts in the Hindu Kush Mountains in Afghanistan.

Iran is a rich country in terms of biodiversity, with about 37,500 animal species and more than 8,000 plant species. In addition, it is home to 579 bird species, 214 mammal species, 284 reptile species, 23 amphibian species, 309 freshwater fish species, and 763 marine fish species in the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman, and the Caspian Sea.

Also, some 35,283 species of invertebrates have been identified in the country, out of which more than 32,600 species are arthropods. Over 94 percent of the country’s animal species diversity belongs to invertebrates and less than 6 percent to vertebrates. Insects, with at least 26,800 species, account for more than 70 percent of the country’s total species.

According to the latest report by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), some 154 species of Iranian vertebrates are critically endangered of extinction.

MT/MG