Hippolyte varians
| Hippolyte varians | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
| Infraorder: | Caridea |
| Family: | Hippolytidae |
| Genus: | Hippolyte |
| Species: | H. varians
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| Binomial name | |
| Hippolyte varians Leach, 1814
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| Synonyms[1] | |
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Hippolyte varians, also called the chameleon shrimp, is a species of broken-backed shrimp in the family Hippolytidae.
Description
[edit]A prawn/shrimp of up to 3 cm (1.2 in) in length, appearing in many different colours; red, yellow, brown, green, transparent or blue.[1] The colour can adapt to surroundings. During the night it usually becomes bluish green.[2] The common name "chameleon shrimp" and specific name varians ("varying, fluctuating") both refer to this colour change.[3] It sometimes matches the seaweed on which it feeds, such as the green Ulva lactuca or the red Palmaria palmata.[4]
The short carapace has a single spine.[5] There is also a spine above each eye, and the telson has two pairs of lateral spines.[1]
Habitat
[edit]Hippolyte varians is found in waters as deep as 150 m (490 ft) throughout the eastern Atlantic.[2][6]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Chameleon prawn (Hippolyte varians) - MarLIN - The Marine Life Information Network". www.marlin.ac.uk.
- ^ a b "Chameleon Prawn - Hippolyte varians". www.seawater.no.
- ^ "A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin". www.mobot.org.
- ^ "Hippolyte varians seaweed habitats and colour types. Chameleon prawns... | Download Scientific Diagram".
- ^ "Marine Species of the British Isles and Adjacent Seas (MSBIAS) - Hippolyte varians Leach, 1814". www.marinespecies.org.
- ^ "Chamaeleon Prawn (Hippolyte varians) - Detail - Biodiversity Maps". maps.biodiversityireland.ie.
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