Munidopsis polymorpha

Munidopsis polymorpha is a species of squat lobster (also known as the blind albino cave crab) that is endemic to Lanzarote, Canary Islands. They are small, blind and pale, and can be found in the caves of Jameos del Agua, in lava tubes formed by volcanic eruptions 15,000 - 13,000 years ago.[1] Ovigerous females carry only two eggs which are relatively big in contrast to the numerous small eggs in other anomuran crustaceans.[2] It is the animal symbol of the island of Lanzarote.[3]

Munidopsis polymorpha
Scientific classification
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M. polymorpha
Binomial name
Munidopsis polymorpha
Koelbel, 1892

See also

References

  1. Horst Wilkens, Jakob Parzefal & Thomas Iliffe (2001). "Origin and age of the marine stygofauna of Lanzarote, Canary Islands" (PDF). Mitteilungen aus dem Hamburgischen Zoologischen Museum und Institut. 83: 223–230.
  2. Jonas Keiler, Stefan Richter & Christian S. Wirkner (2015). "Evolutionary morphology of the organ systems in squat lobsters and porcelain crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomala): An insight into carcinization". Journal of Morphology. 276: 1–21. doi:10.1002/jmor.20311. PMID 25156549.
  3. "Ley 7/1991, de 30 de abril, de símbolos de la naturaleza para las Islas Canarias". Archived from the original on 2011-08-08. Retrieved 2016-09-25.


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