Crustacean · shrimp

Eyeless vent shrimp

Rimicaris exoculata

PacificAtlanticIndianSouthernArctic A single ocean

Depth

About 1,600 to 3,700 m, around the hot vents of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Size

4 to 5 cm

Diet

Bacteria that grow on its body and on the chimneys

Zone

The sea floor · 200 – 3,500 m

Key facts

• It has no normal eyes. On its back, a large organ under the shell detects a very faint glow.
• It lives in tight swarms, with about 2,500 to 3,000 shrimp per square meter.
• Bacteria line its mouthparts and the inside of its gill chamber. They help it feed.
• It withstands a pressure of about 200 times that at the surface.

Verified sources

1. SeaLifeBase : Rimicaris exoculata
2. Van Dover et al. 1989, Nature : A novel eye in ‘eyeless’ shrimp from hydrothermal vents
3. WHOI Oceanus : Symbiosis in the Deep Sea
4. Université de Liège, Reflexions : An unusual way of feeding
5. Animal Diversity Web : Rimicaris exoculata

In the game: To observe

In the same zone

Deep-reef white coralDesmophyllum pertusum (formerly Lophelia pertusa) Azores vent musselBathymodiolus azoricus MonkfishLophius piscatorius Bird’s nest spongePheronema carpenteri Pink abyssal sea cucumberAmperima rosea Scaly-foot gastropodChrysomallon squamiferum