Caprella unica is a species of skeleton shrimp in the genus Caprella within the family Caprellidae. It was first described by German zoologist Paul Mayer in 1903 from specimens collected during the Siboga Expedition to the northern Pacific.
Description: These crustaceans are relatively small, measuring approximately 5–18 mm in length. They have a slender, twig-like body typical of skeleton shrimps, with two large and two small antennae. The larvae are plankton-like.
Habitat and Distribution: Caprella unica is a marine species that lives exclusively in salt water. It is widely found in the northwestern Atlantic, including Cape Cod, Maine, and Newfoundland. It is known to live as a parasite on starfish.
Taxonomy: The species belongs to the phylum Arthropoda, subphylum Crustacea, class Malacostraca, order Amphipoda, and family Caprellidae. Its taxonomic placement has been updated in revisions based on the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) database.
