New Land Snail Species Chamalycaeus dayangmerindu Discovered in South Sumatra
Indonesia has further expanded its biodiversity heritage with researchers from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) successfully describing a new species of land snail named Chamalycaeus dayangmerindu. This species has been found solely in the Padang Bindu karst region of South Sumatra.
The research was led by Ayu Savitri Nurinsiyah, a researcher at BRIN’s Centre for Biosystematics and Evolution Research, in collaboration with teams from Surabaya State University and Széchenyi István University in Hungary. Their findings have been published in the international scientific journal ZooKeys in 2026.
Following specimen collection, the researchers continued with comprehensive taxonomic investigation through to 2025. The study included morphological observations of the snail’s shell and comparisons with various specimens held in scientific collections.
According to Ayu, the process of confirming that an organism is truly a new species requires an extensive and rigorous scientific process. “The lengthy journey of revealing biodiversity has been the footprint of every taxonomist’s steps. From field expeditions and exploration, literature review and laboratory analysis, to the processes of writing and international recognition,” said Ayu Savitri Nurinsiyah.
She added that this process encompasses various scientific stages such as morphological and anatomical analysis, or genetic analysis, comparison with previously known species, and review by world experts (peer review) before finally being published in a scientific journal. “Although lengthy and full of challenges, I believe every step in this journey will always be meaningful and beneficial,” Ayu said.
Threats such as land conversion, mining, and karst habitat degradation could potentially affect the survival of this small snail. For this reason, scientific documentation becomes an important step to support conservation efforts.
According to Ayu, the discovery of a new species not only adds to the list of living creatures known to humankind, but also serves as an important foundation for ecosystem protection.
The research also involved cross-institutional collaboration. One of the authors in the publication is Latifah Nurul Aulia, a student from Surabaya State University who conducted research at BRIN. Latifah joined through the Independent Campus Learning Programme (MBKM) and continued her research through to her final thesis via BRIN’s Research Assistance Programme for Research Talent and Innovation (BARISTA).
Ayu hopes that the involvement of students such as Latifah can encourage the emergence of a new generation of researchers in the fields of taxonomy and biosystematics, areas of science that remain relatively underappreciated. “It is not easy to find successors in taxonomy and biosystematics, especially in the snail group. Hopefully, more young people will become interested in and concerned about revealing Indonesia’s biodiversity,” she said.
Through this research, the BRIN research team hopes that biodiversity exploration in Indonesia—particularly in the terrestrial mollusc group—can continue to develop. These efforts are important to strengthen the documentation and preservation of Indonesia’s biodiversity, whilst ensuring that various unique species living in specific habitats such as karst regions do not disappear before being understood by science.