A new species of amphipod with a unique panda pattern was found in the intertidal zone of the Japanese coast. Credit: Ko Tomikawa/Hiroshima University ========================================================================================= The Melita panda, a newly classified amphipod species found in Japan, illustrates the critical role of taxonomy in biodiversity conservation. Identified by unique panda-like coloring and confirmed through molecular and morphological analyses, this species contributes to our understanding of coastal biodiversity. A crustacean species with distinctive black-and-white markings, reminiscent of a panda, has been confirmed as new to science decades after its initial discovery in Japan. Known as Melitid amphipods, these shrimp-like crustaceans are found...