Callianassa subterranea
Encyclopedia
Callianassa subterranea is a species
of burrowing
ghost shrimp
. This species is known by such generic common name
s as "mud shrimp" and "ghost shrimp".
, and a short rostrum
. Its pale, translucent exoskeleton
is not heavily calcified and remains relatively soft and flexible. Its large claws are unequal in size and are larger in males than in females. C. subterranea has very small eyes and grows up to 4 centimetres (1.6 in) in length.
Like many similar thalassinidean
decapods
, C. subterranea is a deposit-feeder that ingests sediment
particles in order to scrape off and digest the organic coating called biofilm
that sticks to them. To facilitate this type of foraging
, its mouthparts, except for the mandible
, are covered with a variety of seta
e designed for sediment denitrification. Its pereiopods are highly-specialized for the digging activity of a deposit feeder and are not used for grooming
.
to the Mediterranean Sea
. It has been recorded in large numbers in the southern North Sea
and the north-eastern Irish Sea
. Its presence has been recorded on the south coast of Britain
and the west coast of Scotland
. In Ireland
it has been recorded at a single site in the Kenmare River area. However, as it is a subterranean species, it likely has a more widespread range that has been recorded.
As its scientific name implies, this species has a burrowing habit
and lives underneath the wet, sandy sediment of its benthic zone
habitat. C. subterranea creates complex, multi-branched tunnel systems up to 81 cm deep from the lower shore to the shallow sublittoral. Each tunnel complex has several inhalant shafts which terminate on the surface with a funnel
-shaped opening in the center of a conical mound of ejected sediment. Its burrows often interconnect in complex patterns with those inhabited by other species of burrowing fish and crabs such as Goneplax rhomboides
, Cepola macrophthalma
, Lesueurigobius friesii
, and Nephrops norvegicus.
The construction of the burrows varies according to the characteristics of the sediment in which the individuals dwell and reach their maximum depth and complexity in Scottish sea lochs and other areas with fine-grained mud.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of burrowing
Bioturbation
In oceanography, limnology, pedology, geology , and archaeology, bioturbation is the displacement and mixing of sediment particles and solutes by fauna or flora . The mediators of bioturbation are typically annelid worms , bivalves In oceanography, limnology, pedology, geology (especially...
ghost shrimp
Thalassinidea
Thalassinidea is an infraorder of decapod crustaceans that live in burrows in muddy bottoms of the world's oceans. In Australian English, the littoral thalassinidean Trypaea australiensis is referred to as the yabby , frequently used as bait for estuarine fishing; elsewhere, however, they are...
. This species is known by such generic common name
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
s as "mud shrimp" and "ghost shrimp".
Description
Callianassa subterranea has an elongated body, a short small carapaceCarapace
A carapace is a dorsal section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods such as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates such as turtles and tortoises. In turtles and tortoises, the underside is called the plastron.-Crustaceans:In crustaceans, the...
, and a short rostrum
Rostrum (anatomy)
The term rostrum is used for a number of unrelated structures in different groups of animals:*In crustaceans, the rostrum is the forward extension of the carapace in front of the eyes....
. Its pale, translucent exoskeleton
Exoskeleton
An exoskeleton is the external skeleton that supports and protects an animal's body, in contrast to the internal skeleton of, for example, a human. In popular usage, some of the larger kinds of exoskeletons are known as "shells". Examples of exoskeleton animals include insects such as grasshoppers...
is not heavily calcified and remains relatively soft and flexible. Its large claws are unequal in size and are larger in males than in females. C. subterranea has very small eyes and grows up to 4 centimetres (1.6 in) in length.
Like many similar thalassinidean
Thalassinidea
Thalassinidea is an infraorder of decapod crustaceans that live in burrows in muddy bottoms of the world's oceans. In Australian English, the littoral thalassinidean Trypaea australiensis is referred to as the yabby , frequently used as bait for estuarine fishing; elsewhere, however, they are...
decapods
Decapoda
The decapods or Decapoda are an order of crustaceans within the class Malacostraca, including many familiar groups, such as crayfish, crabs, lobsters, prawns and shrimp. Most decapods are scavengers. It is estimated that the order contains nearly 15,000 species in around 2,700 genera, with...
, C. subterranea is a deposit-feeder that ingests sediment
Sediment
Sediment is naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of fluids such as wind, water, or ice, and/or by the force of gravity acting on the particle itself....
particles in order to scrape off and digest the organic coating called biofilm
Biofilm
A biofilm is an aggregate of microorganisms in which cells adhere to each other on a surface. These adherent cells are frequently embedded within a self-produced matrix of extracellular polymeric substance...
that sticks to them. To facilitate this type of foraging
Foraging
- Definitions and significance of foraging behavior :Foraging is the act of searching for and exploiting food resources. It affects an animal's fitness because it plays an important role in an animal's ability to survive and reproduce...
, its mouthparts, except for the mandible
Mandible (arthropod)
thumb|250px|The mandibles of a [[Bull ant]]The mandible of an arthropod is either of a pair of mouthparts used for biting, cutting and holding food. Mandibles are often simply referred to as jaws. Mandibles are present in the extant subphyla Myriapoda , Crustacea and Hexapoda...
, are covered with a variety of seta
Seta
Seta is a biological term derived from the Latin word for "bristle". It refers to a number of different bristle- or hair-like structures on living organisms.-Animal setae:In zoology, most "setae" occur in invertebrates....
e designed for sediment denitrification. Its pereiopods are highly-specialized for the digging activity of a deposit feeder and are not used for grooming
Personal grooming
Personal grooming is the art of cleaning, grooming, and maintaining parts of the body. It is a species-typical behavior that is controlled by neural circuits in the brain.- In humans :...
.
Range and habitat
C. subterranea has a widespread marine distribution from NorwayNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
to the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
. It has been recorded in large numbers in the southern North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
and the north-eastern Irish Sea
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
. Its presence has been recorded on the south coast of Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and the west coast of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. In Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
it has been recorded at a single site in the Kenmare River area. However, as it is a subterranean species, it likely has a more widespread range that has been recorded.
As its scientific name implies, this species has a burrowing habit
Habit (biology)
Habit, when used in the context of biology, refers to the instinctive actions of animals and the natural tendencies of plants.In zoology, this term most often refers to specific behavioral characteristics, even when directly related to physiology...
and lives underneath the wet, sandy sediment of its benthic zone
Benthic zone
The benthic zone is the ecological region at the lowest level of a body of water such as an ocean or a lake, including the sediment surface and some sub-surface layers. Organisms living in this zone are called benthos. They generally live in close relationship with the substrate bottom; many such...
habitat. C. subterranea creates complex, multi-branched tunnel systems up to 81 cm deep from the lower shore to the shallow sublittoral. Each tunnel complex has several inhalant shafts which terminate on the surface with a funnel
Funnel
A funnel is a pipe with a wide, often conical mouth and a narrow stem. It is used to channel liquid or fine-grained substances into containers with a small opening. Without a funnel, spillage would occur....
-shaped opening in the center of a conical mound of ejected sediment. Its burrows often interconnect in complex patterns with those inhabited by other species of burrowing fish and crabs such as Goneplax rhomboides
Goneplax rhomboides
Goneplax rhomboides is a species of crab. It is known by the common name angular crab because of its angular carapace. Although it is also called the square crab, its shell is in fact more trapezoidal than square...
, Cepola macrophthalma
Cepola macrophthalma
Cepola macrophthalma is a fish of the of the bandfish family Cepolidae. It is found in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean from Senegal north to Norway...
, Lesueurigobius friesii
Lesueurigobius friesii
Lesueurigobius friesii is a species of goby....
, and Nephrops norvegicus.
The construction of the burrows varies according to the characteristics of the sediment in which the individuals dwell and reach their maximum depth and complexity in Scottish sea lochs and other areas with fine-grained mud.