Mictaceans: Mictacea

Physical characteristics: The body is long, slender, and colorless. Adults measure 0.12 to 0.14 inches (3 to 3.5 millimeters) in length. The head has a beaklike projection, or rostrum. Working eyes are absent, but eyestalks are present. The inner branches of the uropod have two segments. The telson is spiny along its back margin.

Geographic range: Mictocaris halope is found in Bermuda.

Habitat: Mictocaris halope lives on or near rocks at the bottom of underground sea caves.

Diet: They may strain bits of plant food from the water.

Behavior and reproduction: This species spends most of its time swimming, but is occasionally found crawling over or resting on Mictocaris halope lives on or near rocks at the bottom of underground sea caves. (Illustration by John Megahan. Reproduced by permission.) rocks. Mating has never been observed. Eggs are carried in a pouch, or marsupium (mar-SOUP-ee-uhm), formed by special plates on the leg bases. The young larvae (LAR-vee) hatch without their last pair of appendages.

Mictocaris halope and people: This species is not known to impact people or their activities.

Conservation status: This species is listed as Critically Endangered by the World Conservation Union (IUCN), which means it faces extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. Mictocaris halope is very sensitive to the water quality of the caves in which it lives. ∎