Major Group: Crustacea
Minor Group: Anostraca |
Descriptive Features: soft, delicate, variable colour
clearly defined head, thorax and abdomen
no carapace
prominent stalked eyes
11 pairs of leaf-like appendages, 1 pair per thoracic segment
legs with 1 pre-epipodite
telson well developed
uropods placed obliquely on telson and evenly setose
Total length: small to moderately large, 10 - 50 mm |
|
Branchinella sp. |
|
|
|
Branchinella sp. |
|
Taxonomic Checklist: Families Genera
Artemiidae Artemia (brine species)
Branchiopodidae Australobranchipus (freshwater species)
Parartemidae Parartemia (brine species)
Streptocephalidae Streptocephalus (freshwater species)
Thamnocephalidae Branchinella (fresh & saline species) |
|
Distribution: Australia wide
Sensitivity Rating: SIGNAL grade 1
Functional Feeding Group: filtering collectors |
|
pool at Muella Station, Paroo River catchment NSW (Qld) |
|
|
Ecology: Instream habitat: Fairy shrimps occur in temporary freshwaters including, pools, ditches, rock holes, and ponds.
Feeding ecology: Anostracans are planktonic filter feeders, using a groove between the bases of the thoracic legs to filter microscopic organisms from the water.
Habit: Anostracans characteristically swim with their ventral surface uppermost.
Life history: Males use the enlarged antennae to grasp females during copulation. Eggs are resistant to desiccation and are activated by the presence of water. Branchinella can develop from resting eggs to a dense population quickly after inundation. Nuisance blooms can occur. |
| |
Information Sources: Timms 2004, 2008, 2011, Geddes 1981, Gooderham & Tsyrlin 2002, Hawking & Smith 1997, Ingram et al 1997, Williams 1980
Key to Families: Timms 2004, Timms 2012 (brine species)
Key to Genera: Timms 2004, Timms 2012 (brine species)
Key to Species: Timms 2004 (incomplete), Timms 2012 (brine species) |
|
|
|
