Troglocaris

Troglocaris
Troglocaris anophthalmus
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Malacostraca
Order:	Decapoda
Suborder:	Pleocyemata
Infraorder:	Caridea
Family:	Atyidae
Genus:	Troglocaris Dormitzer, 1853
Type species
Palaemon anophthalmus Kollar, 1848

Troglocaris is a genus of freshwater shrimp in the family Atyidae.^[1] These stygobitic, whitish and eyeless shrimp are found in Southern Europe (Dinaric Alps and West Caucasus).^[2] Although locally very common,^[3] the small ranges of the individual species make them highly vulnerable to habitat loss, for example by water extraction.^[4] Their underground habitat is often extremely stable; for example, the Vipavska jama cave in Slovenia is home to a population of T. anophthalmus, and its water only varies from 10 °C (50 °F) in the winter to 11 °C (52 °F) in the summer.^[4] In some Dinaric caves, notably Vjetrenica, as many as three species may occur together.^[3]

These shrimp sometimes fall prey to olm salamanders, but are able to survive injuries if the attack fails.^[4] The Dinaric Troglocaris are the main host of several species of parasitic or epizoic flatworms of the family Scutariellidae (order Temnocephalida).^[3]