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Genus of crustaceans From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Troglocaris is a genus of freshwater shrimp in the family Atyidae.[1] These stygobitic, whitish and eyeless shrimp are found in Southern Europe (Dinaric Alps and West Caucasus).[2] Although locally very common,[3] the small ranges of the individual species make them highly vulnerable to habitat loss, for example by water extraction.[4] Their underground habitat is often extremely stable; for example, the Vipavska jama cave in Slovenia is home to a population of T. anophthalmus, and its water only varies from 10 °C (50 °F) in the winter to 11 °C (52 °F) in the summer.[4] In some Dinaric caves, notably Vjetrenica, as many as three species may occur together.[3]
Troglocaris | |
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Troglocaris anophthalmus | |
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Genus: | Troglocaris Dormitzer, 1853 |
Type species | |
Palaemon anophthalmus Kollar, 1848 |
These shrimp sometimes fall prey to olm salamanders, but are able to survive injuries if the attack fails.[4] The Dinaric Troglocaris are the main host of several species of parasitic or epizoic flatworms of the family Scutariellidae (order Temnocephalida).[3]
Troglocaris currently contains 15 described species, but there are also a number of undescribed species.[2][5] Gallocaris inermis, a stygobitic shrimp from southern France, was formerly included in Troglocaris.[2]