German scientists have named a new species of crayfish after NSA leaker Edward Snowden, whom they call an “American freedom fighter.”
German researcher Christian Lukhaup and two of his colleagues are apparently admirers of the former NSA contractor, now living in Moscow after leaking thousands of classified documents.
The newly identified crustacean has been dubbed the Cherax snowden.
“The new species is named after the American freedom fighter Edward Joseph Snowden,” the researchers wrote in their study, published Monday in the scientific journal ZooKeys. “He is honored due to his extraordinary achievements in defense of justice, and freedom.”
The Cherax snowden had previously been misidentified as a very similar but different type of crustacean. It is found in the waters of West Papua in Indonesia and is often kept as a pet by crayfish enthusiasts in Europe, East Asia and North America because of its bright orange-tipped claws.
• Kellan Howell can be reached at khowell@washingtontimes.com.
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