Crustaceans of extreme environments

• Main Authors: Benvenuto, C, Knott, B, Weeks, SC
• Other Authors: Thiel, M, Watling, L
• Format: Book Part
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford University Press 2015
• Subjects: Antarctic; Antarc*
• Online Access: http://usir.salford.ac.uk/id/eprint/35114/; http://usir.salford.ac.uk/id/eprint/35114/1/NHC%20Vol%202%20Chapter%2014-proofs.pdf; https://global.oup.com/academic/product/lifestyles-and-feeding-biology-9780199797028?cc=gb&lang=en&

Crustaceans are a remarkably diverse group of organisms, which have colonized and occupied a broad variety of niches. Many crustacean species are found in extreme environments, inhospitable to the majority of animal taxa, including Antarctic lakes, subterranean waters, hydrothermal vents, dry deserts, hypersaline lakes, and highly acidic habitats. Particular adaptations have evolved in response to the environmental conditions in these extreme habitats, shaping the lifestyle of crustaceans. In this chapter, some of the morphological, physiological, and life history adaptations that enabled crustaceans to colonize these habitats are reviewed. An overview of the main crustacean taxa in these extreme environments is given and their evolutionary adaptations are briefly compared to those of other organisms co-occurring in the same habitats. Although not exhaustive, this review highlights how successful crustaceans have been in adapting to extreme conditions. Nowadays, anthropogenic activities risk irreversibly altering the delicate equilibrium these crustaceans have achieved in extreme environments.