Invertebrates
Remipede
Remipedia · also called remipedes
Blind and venomous, a remipede swims upside down through the total darkness of flooded coastal caves, injecting paralysing venom into prey using a body plan scientists consider one of the most primitive found among living crustaceans.
Overview
The remipede, class Remipedia, is a venomous, cave-dwelling crustacean native to flooded coastal cave habitat recorded across several ocean basins worldwide. Its complete blindness, rare venomous bite among crustaceans, and unusually primitive body plan make it one of the most scientifically intriguing and least accessible crustacean groups found anywhere connected to the sea.
A crustacean sealed away in darkness
Confined entirely to flooded, hidden cave systems where seawater and fresh water mix far from sunlight, the remipede has evolved a suite of adaptations, blindness, venom, and an unusual swimming posture, found in almost no other living crustacean group.
Status
Not Evaluated, known only from a limited number of naturally fragmented flooded coastal cave systems that are difficult to survey.
Remipede: common questions
How does the remipede find its way around in total darkness?
This class lacks functional eyes entirely, an adaptation to a lifetime spent in the total darkness of flooded coastal cave systems, relying instead on other senses to detect prey and navigate.
Is the remipede dangerous to other animals?
Yes, this class is among the small number of crustaceans known to produce venom, using specialised fangs to inject paralysing venom into prey found within the same cave systems.
Why does the remipede swim upside down?
This class typically swims upside down, undulating a long series of paired swimming limbs running the length of its body, a distinctive swimming posture not seen in most other crustaceans.
Why are scientists interested in the remipede's body plan?
This class has a body plan considered unusually primitive compared with most other living crustaceans, drawing scientific interest in questions about how early crustaceans may have evolved and diversified.