10 Facts about Fairy Shrimp

Facts about Fairy Shrimp tell you about a crustacean included in the order Anostraca and class Branchiopoda. The length of fairy shrimp is measured around 0.24 to 0.98 inch or 6 to 25 mm. In some rare cases, the body may reach the length of 6.7 inches or 170 mm. Most of them have 11 pairs of swimming legs, which look like phyllopodia.  The number of body segment is 20.  Let us check other unique facts about fairy shrimps below:

Facts about Fairy Shrimp 1: the habitat

Have you ever seen fairy shrimp before? They can be found in various habitats in the world like in Antarctica, ice covered mountain lakes, pools in the deserts, hypersaline lakes and vernal pools.

Facts about Fairy Shrimp 2: the diet

Fairy shrimp gets their food by scraping algae or even from the organic particles of water.

Facts about Fairy Shrimp 3: the importance in ecosystem

Fairy shrimp is an important animal in our ecosystem for it is the primary diet for fish and bird. It has eight families and 300 species.

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Facts about Fairy Shrimp 4: the human activity

Due to the importance of fairy shrimp as a food for fish, human being decides to culture and harvest it.

Facts about Fairy Shrimp 5: the body

The body of fairy shrimp contains several segments. The shape is elongated. It has flexible and think exoskeleton. Branchinecta gigas is a unique species of fairy shrimp. If the species has reached the length of 2 inches or 50 mm, it will come in the sexual maturity phase. The body has three different parts of abdomen, thorax and head.

Facts about Fairy Shrimp 6: the head

The thorax and head of fairy shrimp are different. The two pairs of antennae and two compounds eyes are located on the head. The female have cylindrical and long second pair of antennae. The males have enlarged second pair of antennae for they have the function to hold the females in the mating process.

Facts about Fairy Shrimp 7: the restricted environment

To stay away from the predators, the fairy shrimp is mostly found in the resisted environment like in the lakes at High Mountain, salt lakes and vernal pools.

Facts about Fairy Shrimp 8: Branchinecta gaini

Branchinecta gaini is a shrimpfish, which can be found in Antarctic Peninsula.

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Facts about Fairy Shrimp 9: B. Brushi and habitat

B. brushi inhabited the Chilean Andes at the altitude of 19,460 feet.

Facts about Fairy Shrimp 10: Streptocephalus

The deserts in world are often inhabited by Streptocephalus.

What do you think on facts about fairy shrimp?