cypris

Cypris is a term used in zoology with two related meanings in crustacean biology. Most commonly, cypris refers to a larval stage in certain crustaceans, especially barnacles (Cirripedia). The cypris larva is typically the final larval stage before settlement. It is often non-feeding and highly motile, equipped with specialized appendages and sensory structures that it uses to explore surfaces and select a suitable substrate for metamorphosis into the juvenile, sessile form. After attachment and metamorphosis, the organism develops into the adult barnacle. The cypris stage is a focal point of studies on crustacean development, dispersal, and biofouling dynamics.

Cypris also designates a genus of ostracods, tiny crustaceans commonly known as seed shrimps, which possess a calcareous two-valved carapace. Species of Cypris inhabit diverse freshwater and marine environments and are widely used in ecological and paleoenvironmental research, as well as in toxicity testing. The genus has a long fossil record and has contributed to understanding crustacean evolution and past climate changes.

The name Cypris derives from Cypris, a classical epithet for Aphrodite associated with the island of Cyprus, reflecting historical namings in natural history.