Scattered throughout Mexico and Central America, there are caves and connecting networks throughout the deepest parts of the sea. Biologists have found these waters to be home to the first venomous crustacean known to science. The crustacean in question, Speleonectes tulumensis, belongs to the remipedes, a group first described in 1981. They live in labyrinth like cave networks. These creatures, also known as remipedes, were found having tossed empty shrimp exoskeletons to the water after having eaten them, presumably, and after poisoning them. Researchers found that reservoirs attached to the needle structures are surrounded by muscles that can pump fluid through the needles. Moreover, they found glands in the centre of the remipede body that manufacture venom and are connected to the reservoirs.
Von Reumont and Jenner also found that the crustaceans’ venom is made predominantly of peptidases, enzymes that have roles in digestion and are also found in rattlesnake venom. It contains a toxin that is nearly identical to a paralysis-inducing toxin first described in spiders. Though toxin is common in spiders, scorpions, and centipedes, it was never before found in any of the 70,000 crustacean spieces. And, although the crustacean is venomous, it has a much more varied diet than most venomous creatures. Whether its venom affects humans is still unknown.
Kaplan, Matt. "First Venomous Crustacean Discovered." Nature News. Nature Publishing Group, 22 Oct. 2013. Web. 15 June 2017.
I find this article very helpful. I did not know about the remipede. The remipede seems very interesting. Its very interesting that the crustaceans' venom is made predominantly of peptidases. The same venom found in rattle snakes.
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that the toxin is identical to that of spider toxin. It is also cool how this is the first crustacean out of 70,000 to be found with venom.
ReplyDeleteConsidering that this is just one of millions of undiscovered species, it's crazy to think what other kinds of anomalies there are that have yet to be found.
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