Its name is Stygobromus hayi, the Hay's Spring amphipod. It is spineless. It lacks vision. It is an opportunistic feeder, consuming whatever resources are available -- perhaps including the remains of its own kind. That is where its similarities to some of Washington, D.C.'s more notorious megafauna end. Researchers report on a way to survey it without threatening its existence, as other studies had done.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2 ... 101824.htm
Gotta love the humor here.
Let's try to keep this apolitical.
It is interesting how this tiny fresh water shrimp measuring about 1 centimeter in length is important to the ecosystem.
Its very survival depends on water that is not polluted with chemicals, etc.
So, if it disappears, then something is seriously wrong in DC. It is like a canary in a deep diamond, coal, or gold mine.