Subphylum Crustacea Scientific name Dahlella caldariensis Rank Species | Genus DahlellaHessler, 1984 Higher classification Dahlella | |
Similar Leptostraca, Nebalia bipes, Nebalia, Phyllocarida, Eumalacostraca | ||
Dahlella caldariensis is a species of leptostracan crustacean which lives on hydrothermal vents in the Pacific Ocean.
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Description
Dahlella may reach a length of 8.1 mm (0.32 in) from the base of the rostrum to the end of the abdomen. Much of the animal is covered by a large, hinged carapace. Dahlella can be distinguished from other animals in the same family by the presence of a row of denticles (small teeth) on the eyestalks, which it is believed are used to scrape surfaces for food. A similar character is found in Paranebalia (Paranebaliidae), but the form of the eyestalk is very different in the two taxa.
Distribution
D. caldariensis has been recorded from a small number of sites around hydrothermal vents in the eastern Pacific Ocean near the Galápagos Islands and on the East Pacific Rise. It is one of the deepest-living species of Leptostraca, having been found at depths of over 2,300 m (7,500 ft).
Etymology
The generic name Dahlella commemorates the biologist Erik Dahl of the University of Lund. The specific epithet comes from the Latin word caldaria meaning hot bath, and is a reference to the natural habitat of D. caldariensis.