"Austria Sorusapocula"... A New Species of Oyster Found Beneath the Rocks of "Al-Subayya"
- Manal Al-Kandari to “Al-Rai”: A small piece found during field surveys by the Research Institute led to a new scientific discovery
- DNA analysis reveals “Ostrea sorousabocula” as a new species of oyster in Kuwait
- The new species is distributed along the coasts from Khour Al-Subayya to Failaka, Umm Al-Naml, Al-Abraj, Anjifa, and Al-Musaylah
The rocks of the Subayya area may seem silent, but if they could speak, they would reveal a secret carried by a small piece found on the beach, announcing a discovery that science had not yet reached.
In the world of marine biology, discoveries are not always linked to rare objects that catch the eye. Stories can begin with small things we pass by without notice. This was how the story began with a neglected small oyster shell on the coast in the Subayya area.
The forgotten shell on the mud led to a new scientific discovery. Through DNA analysis, “Ostrea sorousabocula” was announced as a new species of oyster from Kuwait. The discovery was globally recognized this year, with Kuwait identified as the site of discovery, and the new species was added to the list of known organisms worldwide.
Dr. Manal Al-Kandari, an academic researcher at the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, recounted the details of the discovery to “Al-Rai,” saying, “During our field surveys to study the biodiversity of marine organisms in the intertidal zone along Kuwait’s shores, we were turning over rocks, examining coastal environments, and collecting samples to document the species living there. Among those samples, a small oyster shell appeared, which did not initially seem strange or exceptional to us.”
She noted that they initially believed the shell belonged to a known oyster species named *Ostrea subucula*, a species recorded from areas outside Kuwait. “However, in taxonomy, morphological similarity is not always evidence that organisms belong to the same species. Oyster shells have a great ability to change their shape depending on the environment and the surface on which they grow. The shape, thickness, and external details of the shell can vary, making two different species appear quite similar.”
She added, “This led to the question: Is the oyster found in Kuwait actually the same species known from other regions? To answer this, examining the shell alone was not enough. Thus began a scientific journey that combined traditional and modern methods in taxonomy. The shells and their fine details were studied, anatomy was examined, and Kuwaiti samples were compared with samples from other regions. Then came the decisive step: DNA analysis. And here the surprise emerged.”
Al-Kandari continued, “When the genetic fingerprint of the Kuwaiti samples was compared with samples of the *Ostrea subucula* species from Oman and other areas in the western Indian Ocean, a clear surprise emerged: the Kuwaiti oyster was not of the same species. It became evident that the external similarity concealed significant differences.”
She pointed out that “genetic analysis revealed two clearly distinct evolutionary lineages. One of the main genetic indicators showed a significant difference between the Kuwaiti samples and the comparative samples—a large genetic distance supporting the conclusion that they are different species. Other genetic indicators confirmed the same result, and there were no shared genetic patterns between the two groups. In simpler terms, the oyster we saw on Kuwait’s coasts was not merely a local population of a known species, but a different species never previously described by science. Thus, it received its new scientific name (*Ostrea sorousabocula*).”
She noted that “what is most striking is that the story of this species is directly linked to the Kuwaiti coastline. The study documented the presence of Ostrea sorosapocula at several Kuwaiti sites, from the Shuwaikh Creek in the north, through Failaka Island, Um Al-Naml, and the area east of the Kuwait Towers, down to Anjifa and Al-Musaylah.”
She added that “the oyster sample selected as the primary reference specimen for the new species, which scientists will consult in the future to verify its identity, was collected from the area east of the Kuwait Towers’ coast. This means that Kuwait’s name and its coastal waters are now permanently associated with the scientific definition of this species, especially after its formal publication and description in a global scientific journal. Any researcher in the future will be able to find similar oysters anywhere and compare them with this species and its scientifically recorded reference specimens.”
Al-Kandari emphasized that “the discovery of this new Kuwaiti oyster species has reopened an old and complex scientific file dating back several decades. Tracing the taxonomic history of this group of oysters, we found that various names have been used over the years and that some species were confused with one another. Consequently, the study evolved from an effort to identify a small Kuwaiti oyster into something resembling a scientific investigation into a historical case. We had to refer to historical descriptions and preserved museum specimens, compare shell morphologies, trace the names assigned by scientists over the decades, and integrate all of this with modern genetic evidence.”
Al-Kandari stated, “Some may ask what the significance is of discovering a new oyster species? The answer is far greater than simply adding a new name to the books. Oysters are an important component of coastal ecosystems and play a major role in the food chain. Their aggregations can provide habitats for other marine organisms, support biodiversity and food security, and contribute to the stability of coastal environments. Therefore, knowing which species actually inhabit our waters forms the foundation for understanding these ecosystems, monitoring changes affecting them, and preserving them.”
Al-Kandari pointed out that “there is still much in the Kuwaiti Sea worth searching for, documenting, and identifying before it is lost. There may be species we have observed for years and believe we know, which actually harbor a completely different evolutionary history within their cells. By combining fieldwork, morphological and anatomical studies, and DNA analysis, scientists can now read the stories that shells alone cannot tell.”
Al-Kandari observed that “identifying oyster species based solely on shell shape poses a real challenge for scientists. The shape of an oyster shell is heavily influenced by the environment and the substrate on which it grows. The shell’s form, thickness, and external details can vary depending on its attachment site and surrounding conditions. As a result, different species may appear so similar that they are difficult to distinguish with the naked eye, while individuals of the same species may exhibit considerable variation in their shapes.”
