The new species, Cryptops speleorex, is the largest inhabitant of Movile Cave known to date. (Photo courtesy of Mihai Baciu, GESS LAB, Mangalia.)
Name: King of the Cave Centipedes (Cryptops speleorex)
Habitat: Movile Cave, south-east Romania.
Diet: insects, spiders and small centipedes.
Why it's impressive: This poisonous yellow centipede has adapted to life in the Movile Cave, a dark, sulfurous underground system where sunlight hasn't appeared for more than 5 million years.
Discovered in 2020, Cryptops speleorex — which translates to “king of the cave” — sits at the top of the food chain in this unique ecosystem. It is the largest invertebrate species in the cave, reaching lengths of 1.8 to 2 inches (46 to 52 millimeters).
The centipede has adapted to life in complete darkness. Unlike its surface relatives, C. speleorex lacks eyes. Instead, it relies on other senses to locate prey, such as its long antennae, which are highly sensitive to touch. These antennae help it detect vibrations and movements of prey in its environment. With its long spider-like legs, the king of the caves can easily navigate narrow spaces. The centipede has poisonous pincers called forcipules, which are designed to catch and paralyze prey as it approaches.
To survive in an environment without sunlight — and therefore without plants to produce energy through photosynthesis — the cave dwellers rely on nutrients produced by bacteria by oxidizing gases like methane and sulfur. This process is called chemosynthesis. C. speleorex then eats other creatures in the cave to get the nutrients it needs.
The King of the Cave also faces a host of dangerous gases in his home. Movile Cave is filled with hydrogen sulfide, methane, ammonia and carbon dioxide, while the air outside the system has about half the normal oxygen level.
It is not known exactly how they adapted to survive in these gases. However, C. speleorex breathes through tracheae connected to a system that may have evolved to efficiently extract oxygen in low-oxygen environments.
According to the scientists who discovered it, C. speleorex never leaves its harsh home, although some species found in the cave may exist outside, such as microscopic roundworms known as nematodes.
“Our results confirm our assumptions and show that the Movile millipede is morphologically and genetically distinct, suggesting that it evolved from its closest surface-dwelling relative over millions of years into an entirely new taxon better suited to life in the endless darkness,” the researchers said at the time.
TOPICS amazing animals
Lydia SmithSocial Link NavigationScience Writer
Lydia Smith is a health and science journalist working for publications in the UK and US. She is studying for an MA in Psychology at the University of Glasgow and has a
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