Meet the crayfish species named after NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden

He may not receive a pardon any time soon, but NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden now has a namesake in the animal kingdom. This week, an Indonesian crayfish species has been named after the man who helped inform the public about mass US government surveillance.

German researcher Christian Lukhaup and other scientists wrote Monday in the journal ZooKeys that Snowden was "honored due to his extraordinary achievements in defense of justice and freedom." They said that the crayfish, Cherax Snowden, is often exported from the Indonesian region of West Papua to Europe and the United States.

They wrote that the species, which they said had been misidentified, "is collected and exported for ornamental purposes and its commercial name in the pet trade is 'orange tip' or 'green orange tip.'" (See an image via The Washington Post.)