Margarita Snail (Not pictured) found in Southernmost Point Continental USA at Key West, Florida. The picture shows the famous landmark of the southernmost point of the USA. Photo and Caption: Dennis Kartenkaemper
Near the home of citrus margaritas, a new species of snail that resembles a vivid, citrus-colored species was found off the coast of Florida.
The last living coral barrier reef in the mainland United States is located in the Keys, where marine biologists recently discovered a new species off the coast of Florida, according to SWNS.
The name Cayo galbinus, which translates to “small, low island” and “greenish-yellow,” was given to the snails in honor of their vivid citrus hue, which reminded people of a margarita from Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritaville” on the Florida Keys island.
In the end, Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritaville” famous song was inspired by the Florida Keys, which were long recognized as his home. At the age of 76, the musician passed away last month.
Dr. Rudiger Bieler, the primary study author, told SWNS that the snails are exceptional in that they never move once they are embedded in the ground. The discovery was published in the peer-reviewed journal Peer J.
“When the juveniles find a suitable spot to live, they hunker down, cement their shell to the substrate and never move again,” he explained.
According to Bieler, these snails are “so small and so well-hidden” and that is why it has taken so long for scientists to find them.
According to SWNS, researchers think the new margarita snail is related to the “Spider-Man” snails that were discovered in 2017 from the Vandenberg shipwreck off the Florida Keys.
According to the Michigan Traveler, the USAFS General Hoyt S. Vandenberg was initially a transport ship from 1944 through 1958 before changing to a U.S. Air Force missile range instrumentation ship in 1961.
According to The Florida Keys & Key West, the ship was destroyed seven miles south of Key West, Florida, in 2009, 26 years after it was retired.
According to Bieler, he and his colleagues discovered the snails in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and even discovered a species with the same color in Belize.
“Initially, when I saw the lime green one and the lemon yellow one, I figured they were the same species,” he recalled.
“When we sequenced their DNA, they were very different.”
The discovery, according to Bieler, demonstrates that there are still undiscovered species on Earth.
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Born and raised in South Florida, Krystal is a recent graduate from the University of Miami with professional writing experience at the collegiate and national news outlet levels. She’s a foodie who loves all things travel, the beach, & visiting new places throughout Florida.