New Species Of Shrimp Has Candy-Striped Eyes
Now, there’s a newly classified species of shrimp with insect-like eyes. It’s being referred to as the stargazer mysid.
There are more than 19 hundred species of shrimp in the world that can be found in either freshwater or saltwater habitats. Now, there’s a newly classified species of shrimp.
It’s being referred to as the stargazer mysid. The red creature was found in the South African waters of False Bay.
The species has a pretty unusual appearance. That stargazer nickname is reflective of the eyes, which appear to stare upwards and are positioned on the top of the head, comparable to an insect’s eyes.
Also, the eyes seem to be exceptionally large in comparison to the body size and they’re candy-striped. Researchers at the University of Cape Town note “The vivid ringed patterns are thought to be there to make the eyes appear to belong to a much bigger creature, and hence to scare off predators.”
The shrimp is tiny, measuring about a half inch in length. Charles Griffiths, who is the University of Cape Town’s senior marine biologist wasn’t able to identify the species when the shrimp was shown to him.
Samples of the creature were soon sent to an Austrian expert, who confirmed it as a new species.
There are more than 19 hundred species of shrimp in the world that can be found in either freshwater or saltwater habitats. Now, there’s a newly classified species of shrimp.
It’s being referred to as the stargazer mysid. The red creature was found in the South African waters of False Bay.
The species has a pretty unusual appearance. That stargazer nickname is reflective of the eyes, which appear to stare upwards and are positioned on the top of the head, comparable to an insect’s eyes.
Also, the eyes seem to be exceptionally large in comparison to the body size and they’re candy-striped. Researchers at the University of Cape Town note “The vivid ringed patterns are thought to be there to make the eyes appear to belong to a much bigger creature, and hence to scare off predators.”
The shrimp is tiny, measuring about a half inch in length. Charles Griffiths, who is the University of Cape Town’s senior marine biologist wasn’t able to identify the species when the shrimp was shown to him.
Samples of the creature were soon sent to an Austrian expert, who confirmed it as a new species.
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