When we open our eyes to nature’s wonders, beauty can be found in the most unexpected places — even in a 3-mm snail shell.
A team of international malacologists, led by Serbian Ph.D. student Vukašin Gojšina and his Hungarian supervisor Barna Páll-Gergely, recently discovered a brand-new species of microsnail during their research in Southeast Asia. Inspired by its unique, artistic appearance, the team named it Anauchen picasso, in honor of the legendary cubist artist Pablo Picasso.
Why the New Snail is Named After Picasso
Unlike typical snails, Anauchen picasso features rectangularly angled whorls that give its shell a striking, geometric look. Researchers describe it as resembling a “cubist interpretation” of traditional snail forms — a true masterpiece in miniature.
This discovery is part of a larger study where the team described 46 new species of microsnails from Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. Their full findings are detailed in a comprehensive, 300-page article published in the journal ZooKeys.
Tiny Snails with Extraordinary Beauty
Though these newly discovered snails are less than 5 mm in size, their shells are astonishingly intricate. The researchers highlighted several fascinating features:
- Complex Apertures: Many shells have tooth-like barriers at their openings, likely serving as defense mechanisms against predators.
- Unique Shell Orientation: Some species exhibit apertures that turn upwards or downwards, meaning certain snails carry their shells upside-down.
These distinctive characteristics, including the shell’s final whorl and aperture design, were crucial in identifying and differentiating the new species.
A Race Against Habitat Loss
While many of these snails were collected during recent fieldwork, others had been sitting unidentified in the Florida Museum of Natural History since the 1980s. Tragically, many of the habitats where these snails were found have likely been destroyed due to deforestation and limestone quarrying — two major threats to land snails in Southeast Asia.
This discovery highlights the urgent need for biodiversity conservation, especially for lesser-known but ecologically important species like microsnails.
Reference:
Vukašin Gojšina et al.
“A new start? Revision of the genera Anauchen, Bensonella, Gyliotrachela, and Hypselostoma (Gastropoda, Eupulmonata, Hypselostomatidae) of Southeast Asia with description of 46 new species,” ZooKeys (2025).
DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1235.145281