Thermosbaenacea
Thermosbaenacea is a group of crustaceans that live in thermal springs in fresh water, brackish water and anchialine habitats. They have occasionally been treated as a distinct superorder (Pancarida), but are generally considered to belong to the Peracarida. Due to their troglobitic lifestyle, thermosbaenaceans lack visual pigments and are therefore blind.

The current distribution of some genera tallies well with the Miocene extent of the Tethys Sea, and it is assumed that the extant taxa are derived from ancestors that lived in open marine habitats. Elsewhere, the distribution is consistent with the break-up of Pangaea.

The developing embryos are carried by the adult under its carapace until hatching.
Q25364
crustacean
Concept
Q177380
thermal spring
Concept
Q102192
fresh water
Concept
Q105533
brackish
Concept
Q575279
anchialine
Concept
Q52105
habitat
Concept
Q25933
Peracarida
Concept
Q6644014
troglobitic
UNK
Q161179
pigment
Concept
Q737460
blind
Concept
Q76267
Miocene
TIME
Q208136
Tethys Sea
LOC
Q4398
Pangaea
LOC
Q33196
embryo
Concept
Q666115
carapace
Concept
Q1061944
Thermosbaenacea
Concept
parent taxon