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Fairy Shrimp

Crustaceans

Anostraca is one of the four orders of crustaceans in the class Branchiopoda; its members are known as fairy shrimp. They live in vernal pools and hypersaline lakes across the world, and have even been found in deserts, ice-covered mountain lakes and Antarctic ice, typically measuring 6 to 25 millimeters long, though exceptionally up to 170 millimeters. Most species have 20 body segments bearing 11 pairs of leaf-like phyllopodia used for swimming, and the body lacks a carapace; fairy shrimp are known for swimming upside-down while filtering particles or scraping algae for food.

Facts
Classification
Diet
Filter Feeder 1
System (Realm)
Freshwater 2
Relationship to People
Farmed or Commercially Raised 1
Living or Extinct
Yes 3
Scientific Name
Anostraca 1
Connections

Child Taxon Of

Branchiopoda, Taxa
Source Anostraca (Wikidata)

In Biome

Vernal Pool, Biomes
Source Vernal Pool Fairy Shrimp (Natomas Basin Conservancy)
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Anostraca (Wikipedia)
  • Lead, first sentence
    Anostraca is one of the four orders of crustaceans in the class Branchiopoda; its members are referred to as fairy shrimp.
  • some are cultured and harvested for use as fish food
View the Source
2. Anostraca (Wikidata)
Wikidata
  • Statements section, habitat (P2974): Freshwater
    Wikidata habitat statement (P2974) resolves to a freshwater habitat type.
  • Child Taxon Of: Branchiopoda, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chain
View the Source
3. Wikidata (taxon extant/extinct status)
Wikimedia Foundation / Wikidata contributorsQ853383, descriptionView the Source
Vernal Pool Fairy Shrimp (Natomas Basin Conservancy)
Natomas Basin ConservancyIn Biome: Vernal Pool, Vernal pool fairy shrimp species page, habitat
Quote, In Biome: Vernal Pool, Vernal pool fairy shrimp species page, habitat
Vernal pool fairy shrimp are found in grassland vernal pools or similar seasonal wetlands.
View the Source
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