Scientists discover China’s first freshwater cave snail in Yunnan

Erhaia dijiang shells found in the cave

Deep inside a mountain cave in southwestern China, scientists found a tiny freshwater snail that has no eyes, almost no color, and a translucent shell that reveals its delicate body beneath.

The newly identified species, Erhaia dijiang, is the first freshwater cave snail ever documented in China. It was discovered in Hongta District of Yuxi City, Yunnan Province.

The finding fills a gap in the study of East Asia's underground freshwater ecosystems, which remain far less explored than many habitats at the surface. Erhaia dijiang is a troglobiont, meaning it is specialised for life entirely within caves.

Its eyes and related structures have disappeared through evolution, while its body lacks the pigmentation that protects many surface animals from sunlight.

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