Cuban cave shrimp  (Barbouria cubensis)

Cuban cave shrimp, Barbouria cubensis

Facts

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Arthropoda
Class Crustacea
Order Decapoda
Family Hippolytidae
Genus Barbouria (1)

Status

Classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List 2006 (1).

Description

This is a brightly coloured shrimp with an arched body and rostrum. The colour of the shrimp varies from vivid red and orange to pale yellow and cream, with numerous tiny white spots that change in the light from cream to reddish. The antennae and walking legs are white. Adult males and females are superficially indistinguishable (2).

Range

Recorded from the Bahaman Islands of Abaco, Exumas and San Salvador; the Caicos Island of Providenciales; the Cayman Islands; Bermuda; Cuba; and Jamaica (2).

Habitat

Found free-swimming in the brackish pools within and outside anchialine limestone caves, open to sunlight (2).

Biology

Nothing is known about the biology of this species.

Threats

The threats to this species are unknown.

Conservation

There are currently no conservation measures underway targeting this species.

Further Information

For more information on this Cuban cave shrimp see:

Authentication

This information is awaiting authentication by a species expert, and will be updated as soon as possible. If you are able to help please contact:
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Glossary

Anchialine: Coastal bodies of standing waters that have no surface connections to the ocean but display both tidal fluctuations and salinity ranges characteristic of fresh and brackish waters, indicating the presence of subsurface connections to the watertable and ocean.
Rostrum: Central, forward-projecting and occasionally long spine between the eyes of crustaceans.

References

  1. IUCN Red List (January, 2007)
    http://www.iucnredlist.org
  2. Anchialine Caves and Cave Fauna of the World (February, 2007)
    http://www.tamug.edu/cavebiology/fauna/shrimp/B_cubensis.html