| Macromaxillocaris | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
| Infraorder: | Stenopodidea |
| Family: | Macromaxillocarididae Alvarez, Iliffe & Villalobos, 2006 |
| Genus: | Macromaxillocaris Alvarez, Iliffe & Villalobos, 2006 |
| Species: | M. bahamaensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Macromaxillocaris bahamaensis Alvarez, Iliffe & Villalobos, 2006 | |
Macromaxillocaris bahamaensis is a species ofstenopodidean shrimp, the only species in the familyMacromaxillocarididae. It is atroglobite, known only from ananchialine pool in a cave in theBahamas. It differs from other stenopodideans by the enlargement of its thirdmaxilliped.
Theholotype ofM. bahamaensis has a total length (TL) of 14.4 millimetres (0.57 in) (carapace length, CL, 4.5 mm or 0.18 in); theparatype is smaller at TL 9.7 mm (0.38 in), CL 3.0 mm (0.12 in).[1] In common with other troglobitic species, the body lacks pigments, and the eyes arevestigial.[1] Like other stenopodideans,Macromaxillocaris haschelae (claws) on the first three pairs ofpereiopods (walking legs); it differs from them by the size of the thirdmaxilliped, which is greatly enlarged inMacromaxillocaris, and is the strongest of all the animal'sappendages.[1]
Macromaxillocaris bahamaensis is the first species discovered among the Stenopodidea to be adapted to atroglobitic lifestyle. It was found in ananchialine pool in Oven Rock Cave on Great Guana Cay, a short distance west ofExuma Cays in theBahamas.[1] Oven Rock Cave was first explored in 1993[2] and contains at least 20 species of stygobiont, and is thus ahotspot of subterranean biodiversity.[1] The entrance to the cave is on a hillside, and leads to a small lake, 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) deep, but which is connected to an underwater room, which is in turn connected to other passages; over 300 m (980 ft) has been explored.[1][2] The water in the lake has asalinity of 28.3 ppt at the surface, but increases with increasing depth to around 33–35 ppt at a depth of 12 m (39 ft).Macromaxillocaris is thought to live on the ceiling of the caves, or in fissures in the bedrock, since it was only observed by divers as they returned to the surface, presumably having been dislodged by the divers' exhaust bubbles.[1]
Macromaxillocaris bahamaensis wasdescribed in 2006 by Fernando Alvarez, Thomas M. Iliffe and José Luis Villalobos, in an article in theJournal of Crustacean Biology.[1] As well as a new species and genus, the authors erected a newfamily, placed in the infraorderStenopodidea.[1] This was the first major addition to the taxonomy of the infraorder for some time, the previous new family beingSpongicolidae, created byFrederick Schram in 1986.[3] The nameMacromaxillocaris derives from theGreek rootmacros (meaning "long"), theLatinmaxillaris (meaning "jaw"), and the Greekkaris (meaning "shrimp"); it refers to the exceptional length of the third maxilliped ofMacromaxillocaris.[1] Thespecific epithetbahamaensis refers to the Bahamas, where the species was found.[1]
Subgroups of orderDecapoda | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Dendrobranchiata | 
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| Pleocyemata |
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