Tanaids: Tanaidacea - Physical Characteristics, Behavior And Reproduction, No Common Name (apseudes Intermedius): Species Account - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET, TANAIDS AND PEOPLE, CONSERVATION STATUS
live bits ocean food
Most tanaids live in the ocean, but a few species prefer the brackish waters of estuaries where rivers meet the ocean.
Most tanaids live at a wide variety of depths on the bottom of oceans and estuaries. Many species live at depths of more than 656 feet (200 meters); some are found below 29, 527 feet (9,000 meters). A few species live in the open ocean as free-floating plankton. Still others live in the cracks of sea turtle shells, while others live inside snail shells occupied by hermit crabs. Other species glue bits of sand and other particles into open-ended tubes and live inside.
Most tanaids eat bits of plants, animals, and other microorganisms. Larger pieces of food are handled by the maxillipeds and passed on to the mouth. In some species, the smaller branches of the pereopods and the first pair of pleopods have special structures that are used to stir up mud and sand and strain out bits of food. A few predatory species use their max-illipeds and mouthparts to attack small animal prey.
Tanaids do not affect people or their activities.
No species of tanaids is considered endangered or threatened.
Additional Topics
Most tanaids are small, shrimplike crustaceans measuring 0.039 to 0.078 inches (1 to 20 millimeters), but the largest species may reach 3.15 inches (80 millimeters). Some species have color patterns of mostly yellowish and blue or gray. Both pairs of antennae are branched, or biramous (BY-ray-mus). The compound eyes, each having multiple lenses, are on the tips of stalks. The head and first two se…
Nothing is known of the behavior of tanaids. Both males and females are usually required for reproduction. Some species are hermaphrodites (her-MAE-fro-daits), with individuals having the reproductive organs of both males and females. The eggs are held in the marsupium until they hatch. The hatchlings, or larvae (LAR-vee), go through several distinct larval stages inside the marsupium. They do not…
Physical characteristics: The last five thoracic segments have rounded bristly expansions on their sides. The marsupium is not well developed in this species. The telson is twice as long as it is wide. The outer branch of the biramous uropods has seven segments. Geographic range: This species is found around the Cape Verde Islands, the Mediterranean Sea, and off the coast of Brazil (Rio de Janeiro…
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