| Mictocaris halope | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Crustacea |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Mictacea |
| Family: | Mictocarididae Bowman & Iliffe, 1985 |
| Genus: | Mictocaris Bowman & Iliffe, 1985 |
| Species: | M. halope |
| Binomial name | |
| Mictocaris halope Bowman & Iliffe, 1985 |
|
Mictocaris halope is a species of freshwater crustacean, which is endemic to Bermuda. It is the only species in the genus Mictocaris,[2] and the family Mictocarididae.[3]
It is 3.0–3.5 millimetres (0.12–0.14 in) long and is reflective. It is native to four anchialine limestone caves in Bermuda: it was first discovered by divers in Crystal Cave, and then further populations were found in Green Bay Cave (South Harrington Sound Passage and North Shore Passage), Roadside Cave and Tucker's Town Cave.[4]
Mictocaris is rarely encountered because it lives only in deep waters in the interior sections of the caves. It avoids sunlight and remains in isolated parts of the cave.[5] It is usually seen swimming, but on rare occasions can be found resting or walking on a rock. When relocated into an aquarium they prefer the walls and surfaces of the glass.[5] It is unknown what Mictocaris eats, but it has developed powerful molar and mandible muscles which allows them to chew productively.[5] When originally found, the divers collected 56 specimens of Mictocaris, which can now be found in the National Museum of Natural History.[5]