Palaemonetes cummingi

[The Fisherman]

The Squirrel Chimney cave shrimp. Apparently, this is a species of Palaemonetes only found in a single 100 ft deep sinkhole, known as the "Squirrel Chimney". It is located in Florida. According to the text, it has no pigmentation, including the eyes. It also has smaller eyes than other Palaemonetes.

I guess this shrimp is endangered, given that its only found in one sink hole. Developments around the sink hole also threaten it with water pollution.

I found three texts, but the only one I was able to locate was a short book entry. I don't know that I could find the book entry again, but I have the PDF. No images or drawings exist, that I've been able to find. The journals I could not access were:

Chace, F. A., Jr. 1954. “Two New Subterranean
Shrimp (Decapoda: Caridea) from Florida and
the West Indies, with a Revised Key to the American
Species.” Journal of the Washington Academy
of Sciences 44: 318-324.

Dobkin, Sheldon. "The Larval Development of
Palaemonetes Cummingi Chace, 1954
(Decapoda, Palaemonidae), Reared in the
Laboratory 1)." Crustaceana 20: 285-297


I guess what I'm asking is...Shouldn't we be trying to captive raise this species? It might be a cool aquarium animal, although I don't know with its habitat being a cave. I wonder if its possible to just go there and collect a few specimens for captive breeding. Probably need permission from the owners of "Squirrel Chimney". What are your thoughts on this? I don't know if anyone else shares my current obsession for all that is Palaemonetes.

-John

[Mustafa]

Usually, one cannot keep "legally protected" species in the hobby. It's good in one way, as it will keep people from giong to their habitats and depleting them, but these laws become self-defeating when their habitat is not protected sufficiently (and the animals die out). I think it would be a good idea if qualified and experienced individuals and institutions could get permission to breed these animals and distribute them among serious hobbyists.