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Americamysis bahia facts for kids

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Americamysis bahia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Phylum:
Subphylum:
Class:
Order:
Mysida
Family:
Mysidae
Genus:
Americamysis
Species:
A. bahia
Binomial name
Americamysis bahia
(Molenock, 1969)
Synonyms
  • Mysidopsis bahia Molenock, 1969

Americamysis bahia is a small, shrimp-like crustacean. It belongs to a group called Mysida, which are also known as opossum shrimps. This creature naturally lives in the estuary waters of Texas and Florida in the United States. Scientists often call it Mysidopsis bahia. It is grown in labs and used for important toxicology tests.

What is Americamysis bahia?

Americamysis bahia can grow to be about 9.4 millimeters long. That's less than half an inch! Female shrimps are usually a bit bigger than males. These shrimps are mostly see-through. They can sometimes have a yellowish, brownish, or blackish tint.

Where do they live?

Americamysis bahia is found along the east coast of the United States. Its home range stretches from Rhode Island all the way down to Florida and into the Gulf of Mexico. It is an estuary animal, meaning it lives where fresh river water mixes with salty ocean water. It can handle many different salt levels. It is most common in water that is about 30 psu (practical salinity units) salty. These shrimps usually live in shallow waters, less than 2 meters deep. You can often find them on sandy or muddy seabeds, especially in seagrass meadows.

How do they behave?

Americamysis bahia usually stays on or just above the seabed. They often gather in small dips in the seafloor and face the water current. At night, they swim up towards the surface to find food. Opossum shrimps are omnivores, which means they eat both plants and animals. While we don't know exactly what Americamysis bahia eats in the wild, a close relative eats plant bits and tiny creatures like copepods. In labs, they are usually fed baby brine shrimps. Opossum shrimps are a key part of the food chain. Many fish, like inland silversides and flounders, eat them.

Life Cycle of Americamysis bahia

Female Americamysis bahia shrimps become ready to have babies when they are between 12 and 20 days old. This depends on what they eat and how warm the water is. The female carries her eggs in a special pouch under her body, called a brood pouch. The young shrimps develop inside this pouch. Females usually release five to seven young at a time. The babies are released into the water after four to six days. For about 24 hours, the young shrimps float around as plankton. After that, they settle down onto the bottom. A female can have many groups of babies over a few months.

Why are they important for research?

Americamysis bahia is very sensitive to harmful chemicals. Because of this, and because they are small, have a short life, and are easy to grow in a lab, scientists use them a lot. They help test how toxic different pollutants are. This helps us understand how chemicals affect ocean life.

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