Murcia's enchanted snail: A tiny new species from a legendary spring
University researchers uncover Robustiella incantata, first stygobiont snail unique to Region of Murcia
Researchers at the University of Murcia have found a brand new snail species, so small it's almost magical, living in the groundwater of a spring tied to local legend. Named Robustiella incantata, or the 'enchanted snail', it's the first stygobiont mollusk, one that thrives in dark, water-filled underground spaces, ever identified in the Region of Murcia and the whole southeastern Iberian Peninsula.
The discovery happened at Fuente de las Tosquillas in Barranda, Caravaca de la Cruz. Between 2022 and 2024, teams from the University of Murcia's Department of Ecology and Hydrology, along with the Catalan Malacological Association, filtered sediments around the spring and found five tiny shells. Each one is just a millimetre long, with a robust, whitish and translucent look that makes them stand out even at that size.The name nods to the spring's folklore about 'The Enchanted Girl', a young woman under a spell who guarded the water.
Antonio J. García-Meseguer, one of the key researchers from the Faculty of Biology, called it "a discovery which highlights the extraordinary natural heritage of our region that urgently needs protection." He and colleagues Sergio Quiñonero and Joaquín López stress that this strict Murcia endemic belongs to a group of groundwater snails never seen before in southeast Iberia.
No live snails turned up, which shows how challenging these studies can be, but this unique species makes a strong case for adding it to protection plans in the Northwest. There's hope more will surface with further sampling. García-Meseguer points out that groundwater snails have barely been studied, so "many new species could still be hidden in Iberian groundwater."
Image: University of Murcia
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