Stygotantulus facts for kids

Stygotantulus stocki is an incredibly tiny creature, known as the smallest crustacean in the world. It is so small that it measures less than 0.1 millimetres (0.004 in), which is thinner than a strand of hair! This amazing animal lives by attaching itself to other, slightly larger, crustaceans.

What is Stygotantulus stocki?

Stygotantulus stocki is a type of crustacean, which is a large group of animals that includes crabs, lobsters, and shrimp. Even though it's related to these bigger creatures, Stygotantulus stocki looks very different because of its tiny size and unique way of life. It was first discovered and described by scientists Boxshall and Huys in 1989.

How Small Is It?

Imagine something so small you can barely see it without a microscope. That's Stygotantulus stocki! Its length is less than 0.1 millimeters. To give you an idea, a typical human hair is about 0.05 to 0.1 millimeters thick. So, this crustacean is about the same size as, or even smaller than, the thickness of a single hair!

Where Does It Live?

Stygotantulus stocki lives in the ocean, but not just anywhere. It has a very specific lifestyle. It is an ectoparasite, which means it lives on the outside of another animal, called a host, and gets its food from that host.

Its Hosts: Copepods

This tiny crustacean attaches itself to two specific families of copepods. Copepods are also small crustaceans, often found in huge numbers in both fresh and salt water. They are a very important part of the ocean's food web. Stygotantulus stocki uses these copepods as its home and food source.

How Does It Survive?

As an ectoparasite, Stygotantulus stocki has a unique way of getting its nutrients. It attaches itself to the body of a copepod and likely feeds on its host's fluids or tissues. This relationship is a form of parasitism, where one organism benefits (the parasite) and the other (the host) is usually harmed, even if only slightly.

Its Life Cycle

Scientists are still learning a lot about the full life cycle of Stygotantulus stocki because it's so hard to study such a small creature. However, like many parasites, it likely has different life stages, with some stages focused on finding a host and others on growing and reproducing once a host is found.

Reproduction

The reproduction of these tiny crustaceans is also a subject of ongoing research. It's thought that they produce very small larvae (baby crustaceans) that are specialized in finding new copepod hosts to continue their life cycle. This ensures the survival of the species despite their incredibly small size and parasitic lifestyle.

Why Is Stygotantulus stocki Important?

Even though it's tiny, Stygotantulus stocki is important to scientists for several reasons:

• Understanding Biodiversity: It shows how much variety there is in life on Earth, even in the smallest forms.
• Studying Evolution: Its unique parasitic lifestyle helps scientists understand how animals adapt and evolve over time.
• Extreme Adaptations: It's an example of how life can adapt to extreme conditions and specialized ways of living, even at microscopic sizes.

This little crustacean reminds us that the ocean is full of amazing and often unseen creatures, each with its own special role in the ecosystem.