Alabama cave shrimp

Alabama cave shrimp
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Crustacea
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
Infraorder: Caridea
Family: Atyidae
Genus: Palaemonias
Species: P. alabamae
Binomial name
Palaemonias alabamae
(Smalley, 1961)

The Alabama cave shrimp, Palaemonias alabamae, is a species of shrimp in the family Atyidae, found only in caves in the state of Alabama.

Conservation status

Palaemonias alabamae is listed as an endangered species both on the IUCN Red List,[1] and since September 7, 1988 under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.[2]

Distribution

The Alabama cave shrimp is only known from five caves, all in Madison County, Alabama.[3] Shelta Cave is the species' type locality, but viable populations have only been confirmed in Bobcat Cave and the complex comprising Hering Cave, Glover Cave and Brazelton Cave.

Ecology

P. alabamae occurs in cave pools with silty bottoms.[3] Predators of the Alabama cave shrimp include the southern cavefish Typhlichthys subterraneus, the Tennessee cave salamander Gyrinophilus palleucus, various crayfish species, bullfrogs and raccoons.[3]

Taxonomy

The closest relative of the Alabama cave shrimp is the Kentucky cave shrimp, Palaemonias ganteri, which lives in Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky.[3] The two species can be distinguished by size (P. alabamae being larger than P. ganteri), the longer rostrum in P. alabamae, and the greater number of spines on the rostrum of P. alabamae.[3]

References

External identifiers for Alabama cave shrimp
Encyclopedia of Life 1021259
ITIS 97246
Also found in: ARKive
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