Cryptops speleorex is a species of troglobitic centipede in the family Cryptopidae. It is endemic to the Movile Cave, Romania, where it was discovered in 2020.
Cryptops speleorex | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Subphylum: | Myriapoda |
Class: | Chilopoda |
Order: | Scolopendromorpha |
Family: | Cryptopidae |
Genus: | Cryptops |
Species: | C. speleorex
|
Binomial name | |
Cryptops speleorex Vahtera, Stoev & Akkari, 2020
|
Appearance
editC. speleorex grows to roughly 52 millimetres (2.0 in).[1][2]
Ecology
editC. speleorex is the largest invertebrate animal that lives in Movile Cave. It feeds on other arthropods, such as isopods, spiders, small beetles, and diplura.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b Vahtera, Varpu; Stoev, Pavel & Akkari, Nesrine (2020-12-16). "Five million years in the darkness: A new troglomorphic species of Cryptops Leach, 1814 (Chilopoda, Scolopendromorpha) from Movile Cave, Romania". ZooKeys (1004): 1–26. Bibcode:2020ZooK.1004....1V. doi:10.3897/zookeys.1004.58537. PMC 7758309. PMID 33384564.
- ^ Nield, David (2020-12-19). "Meet The 'King' of a Toxic Underground Ecosystem Unlike Anywhere Else on Earth". ScienceAlert. Retrieved 2023-01-13.