Procaris noelensis facts for kids

Procaris noelensis is a special type of shrimp. Scientists found and described it in 2006. Only one of these shrimps has ever been found. It was discovered in a cave system on Christmas Island. This cave had both fresh water and ocean water mixing together.

Where This Shrimp Lives

Procaris is a small group, or genus, of unique shrimps. There are only five known types of Procaris shrimps in the world. Before Procaris noelensis was found, three types were known only from the Atlantic Ocean. These were Procaris ascensionis, Procaris chacei, and Procaris mexicana. One other type, Procaris hawaiana, was known only from Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean.

The discovery of Procaris noelensis on Christmas Island in 2006 was very exciting. It was the first time a Procaris shrimp was found in the Indian Ocean. The single shrimp found was a female. She was living in an anchialine cave. This is a cave where ocean saltwater flows into karst limestone, mixing with fresh water.

An Ancient Shrimp Story

This shrimp species lives very far away from other members of its group. Scientists believe it might be a relict species. This means it's a survivor from a much older time, like a living fossil. It could have lived during the Mesozoic Era, which was the time of the dinosaurs. Back then, there was a huge ocean called the Tethys Ocean.

Christmas Island might have been a refugium for this shrimp. A refugium is a safe place where a species can survive when its environment changes elsewhere. This idea is supported by other discoveries. Procaris noelensis was found living in the same cave as two other ancient types of shrimps. These were a hippolytid shrimp and an atyid shrimp. The atyid shrimp also comes from a very old family line. These types of shrimps are often found in anchialine cave systems, which are like windows into ancient underwater worlds.