By Sue Bass

The Mystic Valley amphipod is only one-eighth of an inch long, but in terms of environmental protection it could have a big impact.  The tiny, shrimp-like crustacean was recently found at two sites in Rock Meadow, the town conservation land that has been proposed as a site for soccer fields.  The creature was also found on portions of the former Metropolitan State Hospital land.

Because the amphipod, formally known as Crangonyx aberrans, is “of special concern” under the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act, it could provide an increased measure of protection for Rock Meadow’s wetlands.  It’s also possible that wetlands elsewhere in Belmont may shelter the creature.

The discoverer of the Mystic Valley amphipod, Douglas Smith, a lecturer at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, found the crustacean in Belmont on May 15 and confirmed his findings by microscopic examination of the specimens he collected.

His reports and other paperwork documenting the location of the species will be filed with Natural Heritage, the state agency that administers the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act.  A species listed as “of special concern” under the act enjoys the same level of protection as threatened and endangered species.  The designation makes it more likely that wetlands where the amphipod is found will be protected under the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act. 

Smith’s visit to Belmont was jointly sponsored by the Belmont Land Trust and the Belmont Citizens Forum.  Roger Wrubel of the Massachusetts Audubon Sanctuary at Habitat and the naturalist Stewart Sanders selected the sites for Smith to inspect.   

Smith, who grew up in Winchester, originally discovered the Mystic Valley amphipod in Medford in 1977.  He had the honor of writing the first formal description of the new species, which was published in 1983.

“For a long time I thought it was just a variation of the common amphipod,” Smith recalled over lunch at Habitat recently.  But as he got more information, he realized that he was dealing with a different species: “Its morphology, behavior, and life history are very different.”

Smith also checked several sites in Belmont and Cambridge on the Metropolitan District Commission land at Alewife but did not find the amphipod there.

Sue Bass is a Town Meeting Member in Precinct 3.