Preliminary data on larval development of Caucasian cave-dwelling shrimp Troglocaris (Xiphocaridinella) kumistavi Marin, 2017 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Atyidae)

摘要

Up to date, any characteristics of the development of stygobiotic Troglocaris shrimp larvae remained unknown. The article briefly describes the first case of finding of ovigerous females, larval development and the use of yolk lipid in larval nutrition of Caucasian cave-dwelling shrimp Troglocaris (Xiphocaridinella) kumistavi Marin, 2017 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Atyidae). Troglocaris larvae are planktonic and lecithotrophic, able to develop using the expense of egg yolk exclusively, without feeding. This trait allows shrimps of the genus Troglocaris completing metamorphosis in oligotrophic planktonless cave water reservoirs during the low water period, thus shrimp larvae are not washed away; however, alochtonic organics do not enter into caves during this period as well. Characteristics of larval development of T. kumistavi also make it possible to understand that these cave shrimps can reproduce only in large stable water reservoirs (underground lakes), and therefore spend much of the life cycle there, than in rivers or streams.