Syncaris pasadenae facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Syncaris pasadenae |
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Atyidae
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Syncaris
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S. pasadenae
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| Binomial name | |
| Syncaris pasadenae (Kingsley, 1897)
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The Syncaris pasadenae was a special kind of freshwater shrimp that used to live in rivers and streams. Sadly, this shrimp is now extinct, meaning there are no more of them left alive anywhere in the world. It belonged to a family of shrimps called Atyidae.
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The Pasadena Freshwater Shrimp
This unique shrimp was first discovered and described in 1897. It was named after Pasadena, a city in California, because that's where scientists first found it. In fact, the very first specimens were collected from the area where the famous Rose Bowl stadium now stands.
Where it Lived
The Syncaris pasadenae shrimp made its home in the drainage basin of the Los Angeles River. This area includes places near Pasadena, San Gabriel, and Warm Creek in California. It needed clean, flowing freshwater to survive. There was also a possible sighting in a stream that flowed into the Santa Ana River in 1927.
Why it Disappeared
The main reason the Syncaris pasadenae shrimp went extinct was because its habitat was destroyed. The streams and rivers where it lived were changed by people. This process is called channelization. It means that natural rivers and streams were turned into straight, concrete channels. This was often done to control floods or make land available for building.
Habitat Destruction
When rivers are channelized, they lose their natural features. These features include places for animals to hide, different water speeds, and natural plants. The changes made the water too fast or too slow, too warm, or too polluted for the shrimp to live.
Last Sightings
The Syncaris pasadenae shrimp has not been seen alive since 1933. Even though scientists have searched extensively, they haven't found any. This makes it the only known species of shrimp to have gone extinct in recent times. Its disappearance is a sad reminder of how human activities can impact the natural world.
