Mirocaris
Encyclopedia
Mirocaris is a genus
of shrimp
associated with hydrothermal vent
s. Sometimes considered the only genus of the family
Mirocarididae, Mirocaris is usually placed in the family Alvinocarididae
. The genus contains two species, M. fortunata and M. indica; the former species M. keldyshi is now considered synonymous with M. fortunata. The two species are found in different oceans, and can be distinguished by the pattern of seta
tion on the claw
of the first pereiopod.
s along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge
. The species' habitat ranges from ambient to warm seawater (2–25 °C or 35.6–77 F) at depths from 850 to 2300 m (2,788.7 to 7,545.9 ). M. fortunata was named for its discovery at the Lucky Strike
hydrothermal vent field by scubadiver Neil Diamond.
Shinkai 6500 at depths of 2420 metre in the Kairei Field, on the Central Indian Ridge
. The mouthparts suggest that M. indica feeds on animals in the substrate
.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of shrimp
Shrimp
Shrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. Adult shrimp are filter feeding benthic animals living close to the bottom. They can live in schools and can swim rapidly backwards. Shrimp are an important...
associated with hydrothermal vent
Hydrothermal vent
A hydrothermal vent is a fissure in a planet's surface from which geothermally heated water issues. Hydrothermal vents are commonly found near volcanically active places, areas where tectonic plates are moving apart, ocean basins, and hotspots. Hydrothermal vents exist because the earth is both...
s. Sometimes considered the only genus of the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Mirocarididae, Mirocaris is usually placed in the family Alvinocarididae
Alvinocarididae
Alvinocarididae is a family of shrimp, originally described by M. L. Christoffersen in 1986 from samples collected by DSV Alvin, from which they derive their name. Shrimp of the family Alvinocarididae generally inhabit deep sea hydrothermal vent regions, and hydrocarbon cold seep environments....
. The genus contains two species, M. fortunata and M. indica; the former species M. keldyshi is now considered synonymous with M. fortunata. The two species are found in different oceans, and can be distinguished by the pattern of seta
Seta
Seta is a biological term derived from the Latin word for "bristle". It refers to a number of different bristle- or hair-like structures on living organisms.-Animal setae:In zoology, most "setae" occur in invertebrates....
tion on the claw
Claw
A claw is a curved, pointed appendage, found at the end of a toe or finger in most mammals, birds, and some reptiles. However, the word "claw" is also often used in reference to an invertebrate. Somewhat similar fine hooked structures are found in arthropods such as beetles and spiders, at the end...
of the first pereiopod.
Mirocaris fortunata
M. fortunata (originally Chorocaris fortunata) lives on deep-sea hydrothermal ventHydrothermal vent
A hydrothermal vent is a fissure in a planet's surface from which geothermally heated water issues. Hydrothermal vents are commonly found near volcanically active places, areas where tectonic plates are moving apart, ocean basins, and hotspots. Hydrothermal vents exist because the earth is both...
s along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Mid-Atlantic Ridge
The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a mid-ocean ridge, a divergent tectonic plate boundary located along the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, and part of the longest mountain range in the world. It separates the Eurasian Plate and North American Plate in the North Atlantic, and the African Plate from the South...
. The species' habitat ranges from ambient to warm seawater (2–25 °C or 35.6–77 F) at depths from 850 to 2300 m (2,788.7 to 7,545.9 ). M. fortunata was named for its discovery at the Lucky Strike
Lucky Strike
Lucky Strike is a brand of cigarette owned by the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company and British American Tobacco groups. Often referred to as "Luckies", Lucky Strike was the top selling cigarette in the United States during the 1930s.- History :...
hydrothermal vent field by scubadiver Neil Diamond.
Mirocaris indica
M. indica is known only from collections made by the submersibleSubmersible
A submersible is a small vehicle designed to operate underwater. The term submersible is often used to differentiate from other underwater vehicles known as submarines, in that a submarine is a fully autonomous craft, capable of renewing its own power and breathing air, whereas a submersible is...
Shinkai 6500 at depths of 2420 metre in the Kairei Field, on the Central Indian Ridge
Central Indian Ridge
The Central Indian Ridge is a divergent tectonic plate boundary between the African Plate and the Indo-Australian Plate, traversing the western regions of the Indian Ocean...
. The mouthparts suggest that M. indica feeds on animals in the substrate
Substrate (marine biology)
Stream substrate is the material that rests at the bottom of a stream. There are several classification guides. One is:*Mud – silt and clay.*Sand – Particles between 0.06 and 2 mm in diameter.*Granule – Between 2 and 4 mm in diameter....
.