Tozeuma carolinense
| Tozeuma carolinense | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
| Infraorder: | Caridea |
| Family: | Hippolytidae |
| Genus: | Tozeuma |
| Species: | T. carolinense
|
| Binomial name | |
| Tozeuma carolinense Kingsley, 1878
| |
Tozeuma carolinense, commonly known as the arrow shrimp[1] or the seagrass arrow shrimp,[2] is a species of shrimp in the family Hippolytidae found throughout the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, and the East Coast of the United States.[1]
Description
T. carolinense has a long slender body that can get up to 5 cm (2 in) long. Similar to other species in the genus Tozeuma, the rostrum of T. carolinense is long and sharp. The upper surface of the rostrum is smooth, while the lower surface is toothed.[1] The carapace is somewhat translucent and colored green, white, red, brown, or purple.[2][3]
Ecology
T. carolinense is a cryptic species through both form and behavior. The slender body and colorations allow the shrimp to blend with seagrass. When threatened by predators, the shrimp will avoid the predator and align itself with seagrass.[4]
References
- ^ a b c Ruppert, Edward E.; Fox, Richard S. (1988). Seashore animals of the Southeast: a guide to common shallow-water invertebrates of the southeastern Atlantic Coast. Columbia, S.C: University of South Carolina Press. ISBN 978-0-87249-535-7.
- ^ a b "Arrow shrimp, Tozeuma carolinense". txmarspecies.tamug.edu. Archived from the original on 2022-05-18. Retrieved 2025-11-26.
- ^ Voss, Gilbert L. (1956). "Protective Coloration and Habitat of the Shrimp Tozeuma Carolinensis Kingsley, (Caridea: Hippolytidae)". Bulletin of Marine Science. 6 (4): 359–363.
- ^ Main, Kevan L. (1987). "Predator Avoidance in Seagrass Meadows: Prey Behavior, Microhabitat Selection, and Cryptic Coloration". Ecology. 68 (1): 170–180. doi:10.2307/1938817. ISSN 1939-9170. JSTOR 1938817.