Scientists found the first
venomous crustacean called remipede. It is a
centipede-like creature that lives in underwater caves. It liquefies its prey
with a compound similar in nature to rattlesnake's poison. It has its habitat
in underwater caves of the Caribbean, Canary Islands and Western Australia. It
feeds on other crustaceans.
Crustacean’s venom
contains a complex cocktail of toxins, including enzymes and a paralysing
agent. The above findings are published in the
journal Molecular Biology and Evolution.
The remipede (Speleonectes tulumensis) breaks down body
tissues with its venom and then sucks out a liquid meal from its prey's
exoskeleton. This study will help improve our understanding of the evolution of
animal venoms.
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