Acanthacaris caeca is a species of deep-water lobster.[2][1] It was originally described under the name Phoberus caecus by Alphonse Milne-Edwards.[1][3] Lacking eyes, A. caeca is blind.[4]
Acanthacaris caeca | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Malacostraca |
Order: | Decapoda |
Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
Family: | Nephropidae |
Genus: | Acanthacaris |
Species: | A. caeca
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Binomial name | |
Acanthacaris caeca Milne-Edwards, 1881[1]
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Acanthacaris caeca are found in the Caribbean Sea and in the Gulf of Mexico.[3][5][6] They are generally found in burrows between 550 and 825 m (1,800 and 2,710 ft), but they can be found as deep as 880 m (2,890 ft) and as shallow as 290 m (950 ft).[3] They burrow exclusively in muddy environments, and the burrows are 10 to 20 cm (4 to 8 in) deep.[7]
The absence of eyes in the deepwater Acanthacaris caeca (A. Milne-Edwards, 1881) suggests either a more cryptic existence, or a greater dependence on the other sensory modes.