INTERESTING FIND.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 98, 6 February 1936, Page 6

INTERESTING FIND.

SUBTERRANEAN SHRIMPS.

SOME AT ASHBURTON.

(Special to the “Guardian.”)

TEMUKA, February 5.

Professor G. E. Nicholls, a visitor from Australia, who is a Professor of Biology at the University of Western Australia, recently visited Temuka to confer with the South Canterbury Acclimatisation Society’s curator, Mr F. W. Pellett, about some unique specimens of subterranean shrimps found in Temuka, which he had not seen in any other part of the world. Many years ago, Mr Bunchey, a farmer at Rangitata, sank a well, and in the first bucketful of water pumped up he found a number of transparent shrimps. He took a specimen to Dr. C. Chilton (biologist at Canterbury University College) who preserved it for the purposes of research. In tho meantime Dr. Chilton died. Eleven years later, when Mr J. B. Main came to Temuka as curator of the society, he found further specimens in tho underground creek running through the Temuka hatchery grounds. Professor Nicholls meanwhile had been making investigations about the specimen held by Dr. Chilton, and he came to New Zealand and spent 10 days making investigations in the South Island. He found specimens of the subterranean shrimp at Stewart’s Island, Pounawea, at the mouth of the Gatlins river, hut they were Phreatoreus Ty picus, a different species to the one found by Dr. Chilton. This species he found at Ashburton, Eyreton, Lumsden and Leeston. Professor Nicholls said that tlio specimen which he named Phreatoreous Assimilis, found in the possesion of Dr. Chilton, is the only species known in the world. The shrimp-like creature is transparent in colour, is subterranean in its habits, and is blind. The water flowing from the Wailu stream to Temuka is the only known place where the species are to be found. The visitor left his address with the curator, Mr’Pellett, who will follow up tho investigation and forward anv information on to him.