''Parhippolyte sterreri'' is a species of marine
decapod crustacean in the family
Barbouriidae
Barbouriidae is a family of shrimp
Shrimp are crustaceans (a form of shellfish) with elongated bodies and a primarily swimming mode of locomotion – most commonly Caridea and Dendrobranchiata of the decapod order, although some crusta ...
, formerly placed in the genus ''Somersiella''. It is found in marine caves around the
Bahamas,
Cuba and
Mexico and inland
anchialine An anchialine system (, from Greek ''ankhialos'', "near the sea") is a landlocked body of water with a subterranean connection to the ocean. Depending on its formation, these systems can exist in one of two primary forms: pools or caves. The primary ...
caves in
Bermuda.
Description
Sterrer’s cave shrimp is bright red with narrow white bands at the joints of the swimming legs and three white spots on the tail. The head has prominent dark eyes and long
antennae. The specialised
appendage
An appendage (or outgrowth) is an external body part, or natural prolongation, that protrudes from an organism's body.
In arthropods, an appendage refers to any of the homologous body parts that may extend from a body segment, including anten ...
s which help to
trap prey are red at the base, fading to white towards the tip. The
rostrum is short, smooth and rounded. The abdominal segments are rounded and the fifth segment possesses a sharp spine.
Biology
A female shrimp collected on
Cozumel had 2000 tiny eggs attached to its
pleopod
The decapod ( crustaceans such as a crab, lobster, shrimp or prawn) is made up of 20 body segments grouped into two main body parts: the cephalothorax and the pleon (abdomen). Each segment may possess one pair of appendages, although in various ...
s. Their small size suggests that the
larvae remain in the
plankton for a long time.
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References
External links
Sterrer's cave shrimp (''Parhippolyte sterreri'')
ARKive
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5488561
Alpheoidea
Freshwater crustaceans of North America
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
Crustaceans described in 1981
Taxobox binomials not recognized by IUCN
Taxa named by Raymond B. Manning