Ascension volcano shrimp

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Arnold
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Ascension volcano shrimp

Post by Arnold »

Ascension its like a tiny volcanic rock in the middle of the Atlantic ocean, only about 1 million years old. Its part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha who is the most remote habitated island. This islands have extraordinary habitats and unique species in the world since they isolation. In Ascension are a very similar habitats of volcanic pools like the anchialine pools of hawai but this pools are in the central part of the island and I dont know if they are conected to the ocean or have brackish water also, They are also very similar shrimps to Opae ula but pretty much white, there are a little information about this ecosystem or this shrimps. I want to share with you this video of the Ascension wildlife and his "supershrimps" around the minute 2 you can see this awesome shrimps but I recommend you to see all the video and also the serie of documentaries about the other british overseas islands in this channel Redfern Natural History Productions

The Shrimp and wildlife video:
Ascencion wildlife

Ascension lava
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The location of Ascension
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Aennedry
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Re: Ascension volcano shrimp

Post by Aennedry »

Okay, that was a cool video. And those are cool shrimp. Was not able to determine how small they are, but I would like a tank of them. Getting them might be difficult, considering the plans to turn a good chunk of the island and surrounding ocean into a refuge.
You would have to get permission to remove them, then you would have to take a full test kit and check the water prams and a refractometer for salinity. Then find out what they eat, algae? Microorganisms? And how long do they live? These shrimp need someone dedicated to studying and preserving them.
=^._.^=
Super Jess
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Re: Ascension volcano shrimp

Post by Super Jess »

Really neat video, thanks for linking! It got me curious, so I poked around and found a very short video that shows the shrimp in the pool.

The Ascension Island website says the pools are fed by underground channels.

And earlier this year a titanium coin was minted that features the shrimp on the reverse side.

So cool!
i<3Opae
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Re: Ascension volcano shrimp

Post by i<3Opae »

:smt023
Arnold
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Re: Ascension volcano shrimp

Post by Arnold »

Thanks for the info Jess. It looks there are two species of shrimp in the Ascension pools: Procaris ascensionis and Typhlatya rogersi; both of them very rare and endareged species that lives mainly in 2 small pools connected to the sea

Procaris ascensionis
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Super Jess
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Re: Ascension volcano shrimp

Post by Super Jess »

Fabulous pics! Looks like a tiny isopod in the second one.
Arnold
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Re: Ascension volcano shrimp

Post by Arnold »

In Hawaian anchialine pools are also a Procaris shrimp, The Procaris hawaiana. One of the other less known shrimps that live in the anchialine biotope like Callaismata pholidota, Antecaridina lauensis or the more known Metabetaeus lohena

Procaris hawaiana
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Mustafa
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Re: Ascension volcano shrimp

Post by Mustafa »

Thanks for the info and pictures! There are actually many different species of Typhlatya. I was looking for at least two species in Mexico and on Aruba years ago...without success. Caught some tiny shrimp instead that turned into a giant (7-10 inch long and fat) Macrobrachium carcinus. The "volcano" or cave shrimp in most habitats aren't as accessible and out there as the Opae Ula/Halocaridina rubra. I had to enter several caves and even in those caves the shrimp are all the way at the bottom of pools (really deep pools averaging several meters deep) to escape predators like Macrobrachium carcinus. As a result, we really do not know much about how these shrimp reproduce and if their larvae are equally self-sufficient (i.e. need no food or marine conditions) like the Supershrimp larvae.
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