Fairy Shrimp
The fairy shrimp (Branchipus schaefferi) is a delicate, translucent crustacean that swims upside down in temporary pools in Europe. Its eggs can survive years of drought.
The fairy shrimp (Branchipus schaefferi) is a delicate, translucent crustacean that swims upside down in temporary pools in Europe. Its eggs can survive years of drought.
🧬 Field Guide Specimen: Open Fairy Shrimp in the CRV Science Field Guide to log the specimen, see its place among the Ecdysozoa lineages in the Cladogram Explorer, and test your recall in the Red List conservation game.
Swimming on the Back
The shrimp glides belly-up while its eleven pairs of leaf-like legs beat in waves, moving water over the legs to collect food particles and also to breathe. It has no shell, and its stalked eyes are visible.
Eggs That Survive Drying
Like brine shrimp, fairy shrimps lay thick-shelled eggs that withstand drying and freezing for years and hatch when the pool refills. A fairy shrimp can mature in a few weeks. See Brine Shrimp.
Vanishing Pools
Temporary ponds are being drained or filled in, so fairy shrimps are protected in some countries. See Tadpole Shrimp.
Fairy Shrimp at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Branchipus schaefferi |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Arthropoda |
| Class | Branchiopoda |
| Order | Anostraca |
| Family | Branchipodidae |
| Field Guide group | Ecdysozoa: Mandibulata (Mandibulates) |
| Diagnostic feature (Field Guide) | Translucent shrimp-like crustacean of temporary rain pools that swims upside down, beating 11 pairs of leafy legs; eggs survive years of drought. |
| Order | Anostraca |
| Swimming posture | Upside down |