Dahlella caldariensis is a species of leptostracan crustacean which lives on hydrothermal vents in the Pacific Ocean.

Dahlella caldariensis
Scientific classification
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Phylum:
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Genus:
Dahlella

Hessler, 1984 [1]
Species:
D. caldariensis
Binomial name
Dahlella caldariensis
Hessler, 1984 [1]

Description

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Dahlella may reach a length of 8.1 mm (0.32 in) from the base of the rostrum to the end of the abdomen.[2] 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.[3] A similar character is found in Paranebalia (Paranebaliidae), but the form of the eyestalk is very different in the two taxa.[3]

Distribution

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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.[4] It is one of the deepest-living species of Leptostraca, having been found at depths of over 2,300 m (7,500 ft).[5]

Etymology

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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.[6]

References

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  1. ^ a b R. R. Hessler (1984). "Dahlella caldariensis new genus new species - a leptostracan (Crustacea, Malacostraca) from deep-sea hydrothermal vents". Journal of Crustacean Biology. 4 (4): 655–664. doi:10.2307/1548079. JSTOR 1548079.
  2. ^ "Dahlella caldariensis". Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia. 2003.
  3. ^ a b Genefor K. Walker-Smith & Gary C. B. Poore (2001). "A phylogeny of the Leptostraca (Crustacea) with keys to families and genera" (PDF). Memoirs of Museum Victoria. 58 (2): 383–410. doi:10.24199/j.mmv.2001.58.21. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-08-09. Retrieved 2009-02-27.
  4. ^ Todd Haney. "Leptostraca Specimen Database Search". Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Archived from the original on 2008-10-10.
  5. ^ Todd A. Haney, Robert R. Hessler & Joel W. Martin (2001). "Nebalia schizophthalma, a new species of leptostracan (Malacostraca) from deep waters off the east coast of the United States" (PDF). Journal of Crustacean Biology. 21 (1): 192–201. doi:10.1651/0278-0372(2001)021[0192:NSANSO]2.0.CO;2. JSTOR 1549768. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-27. Retrieved 2009-02-27.
  6. ^ Todd Haney. "Synonymy". Los Angeles PEET project on Leptostraca. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Archived from the original on 2008-09-06.