Mirocaris
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Mirocaris fortunata |
Mirocaris is a genus of shrimp and the only genus of the family Mirocarididae. Before being separated to form its own family, this genus was classified under the family Alvinocarididae. These shrimps live on deep-sea hydrothermal vents along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The species' habitat ranges from ambient to warm seawater (2-25°C) at depths from 850 m up to 2300 m. The only known species in this genus are Mirocaris fortunata and Mirocaris keldyshi. However, recent studies suggest these two species are not genetically distinct. M. fortunata was named for its discovery at the Lucky Strike hydrothermal vent field.
