A specialized group of parasitic crustaceans that burrow into the shells of other crustaceans and mollusks.
From Greek 'akron' (tip/extreme point) and 'thorax' (chest), plus the Latin suffix '-ica'. The name describes how these tiny parasites attach at the extremity of their host's thorax region.
These bizarre crustaceans are so weird that scientists initially thought they were bacteria—they're like tiny vampire crabs that literally fuse their bodies into their host's skeleton while still managing to reproduce!
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