# vernal pool inverts



## iturnrocks (May 2, 2006)

Here are some microscope pics of inverts I hatched from wild caught dirt at a vernal pool


Tadpole shrimp nauplii  1 day old at 200x



















Daphnia (Moina) 2 day old at 200x






These were taken with a Sony Mavica FD90

Fairy shrimp adult












Beavertail Fairy Shrimp






Tadpole Shrimp






Tadpole Shrimp eating carrots (you can see the egg sac in this one just behind the shell)




































Vernal Pool where I first discovered these critters


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## dtknow (May 2, 2006)

Awesome photos! You seem to be doing a good job raising them. Is the pool water filled right now? If not I would be interested in a bit of dirt or if your shrimps(tadpole mainly...not sure how well fairies would do for me) lay eggs. How'd you raise the fairy shrimp anyhow?

Also, are these Triops T. longicaudatus?


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## iturnrocks (May 2, 2006)

dtknow said:
			
		

> Awesome photos! You seem to be doing a good job raising them. Is the pool water filled right now? If not I would be interested in a bit of dirt or if your shrimps(tadpole mainly...not sure how well fairies would do for me) lay eggs. How'd you raise the fairy shrimp anyhow?
> 
> Also, are these Triops T. longicaudatus?


The pool isnt filled yet, but weve had a lot of rain recently.  I hope to be able to collect some more dirt tomorrow if its dry enough.  Not sure on the species of Triops yet, Ive sent some off to be identified.  I dont really pick and choose what I raise.  The dirt I get contains fairy shrimp, tadpole shrimp, daphnia, clam shrimp, copepods, and hydra.  Thats the only things i have identified so far.  I usually get about 5-10 triops and 50 fairy shrimp from an ounce of dirt.  I havent yet hatched the beavertail species of fairy shrimp, but I did collect those wild.  They werent as numerous as the spinytails.  I could scoop hundreds of spinytails with an aquarium dip net.  The beavertails can see you coming, so you have to chase them down- which is hard when your knee deep in water.


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## jarvisnake (May 2, 2006)

*fairy shrimp size?*

I have caught fairy shrimp like those in your pics, red marks on the tail and all. These were big, I was really surprised at how big, maybe an inch total, but it's been a few years, so maybe not quite that big. How large do they usually get? Also I had found some in another pool that were what I would expect size-wise, about like adult brine shrimp, but they were bright red. 
I found the big ones in a large flooded area, while I was catching spotted salamanders, among others. The red ones were in a smallish pool that stayed full except in the driest part of summer that was in thick tree growth, and I knew it as a breeding pool for marbled salamanders.


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## dtknow (May 2, 2006)

Interesting stuff! How fast are the beavertails? I'd imagine if you have a net with a long handle you should be able to get them...they must be like brine shrimp on steroids. Are these the ones that eat other fairy shrimp by any chance?

It will be interesting to see if you can keep multiple generations of them going in captivity. Keep us updated.


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## iturnrocks (May 3, 2006)

jarvisnake said:
			
		

> I have caught fairy shrimp like those in your pics, red marks on the tail and all. These were big, I was really surprised at how big, maybe an inch total, but it's been a few years, so maybe not quite that big. How large do they usually get?


The little ones with forked tails that I find max out about 1 inch.  

The beavertails get about 2.5 inches

Here is a pic of the largest fairy shrimp, Branchinecta gigas-  A friend of mine caught this in Colorado last year.


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## iturnrocks (May 3, 2006)

dtknow said:
			
		

> Interesting stuff! How fast are the beavertails? I'd imagine if you have a net with a long handle you should be able to get them...they must be like brine shrimp on steroids. Are these the ones that eat other fairy shrimp by any chance?
> 
> It will be interesting to see if you can keep multiple generations of them going in captivity. Keep us updated.


The pool i hunt is quite large and about 1.5 feet deep.  The first fairy shrimp I caught were the beavertails, but that was because my net had 1/4" mesh, and all the others would just fall through the holes.  Because the beavertail has a flat tail as opposed to the usual forked tail it swims about as fast as a crayfish.

They arent really fast, but they can see you coming and they dive.  This makes them difficult to scoop because i usually try not to get a net full of mud.  
Since there arent as many of these in the pool, I try to walk around and look for them swimming near the surface.  Then I thrust the net as they dive.  Ive probly caught about 20 in that pool.  Walking around really stirs up the mud and makes it much more difficult to see them.

The nets I use are about standard fish landing net size with a 4 or 5 foot pole.  One has a fine mesh (sold as a butterfly net) but much stronger frame than the sissy ones.  It used to be funnel shaped but it was hard to inspect the catch because everything was bunched up at the bottom in the cone, so I cut off the cone and rounded it.  

Im not sure if the beavertails eat other fairy shrimp.  The B. gigas in the previous post does, and the B. raptor they discovered recently does, but they are much larger.

This pic shows the size difference between the 2 species.  All the little forked tail ones are about 1" long


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## iturnrocks (May 3, 2006)

Below is a list of Brine, Fairy, Clam, and Tadpole shrimp of the United States as of 2001. The species I have found in my kansas pool and had identified are in bold. Some species verification still pending.

If you would like a key to identifying species, enjoy the search and tell me when you find one.

Artemia franciscana San Francisco Brine Shrimp
Artemia gracilis Woodentub Brine Shrimp
Artemia monica Mono Lake Brine Shrimp
Branchinecta campestris Pocked Pouch Fairy Shrimp
Branchinecta coloradensis Colorado Fairy Shrimp
Branchinecta conservatio Conservancy Fairy Shrimp
Branchinecta cornigera Horned Fairy Shrimp
Branchinecta dissimilis Dissimilar Fairy Shrimp
Branchinecta gigas	Giant Fairy Shrimp
Branchinecta hiberna Winter Fairy Shrimp
Branchinecta kaibabensis Kaibab Fairy Shrimp
Branchinecta lindahli Versitle Fairy Shrimp
Branchinecta longiantenna Longhorn Fairy Shrimp
Branchinecta lynchi Vernal Pool Fairy Shrimp
Branchinecta mackini Alkali Fairy Shrimp
Branchinecta mesovallensis	Midvalley Fairy Shrimp
Branchinecta packardi Rock Pool Fairy Shrimp
Branchinecta paludosa Circumpolar Fairy Shrimp
Branchinecta potassa Potassium Loving Fairy Shrimp
Branchinecta readingi Eastern Alkali Fairy Shrimp
Branchinecta sandiegonensis San Diego Fairy Shrimp
Artemiopsis stephanssoni Sealed Pouch Fairy Shrimp
Dexteria floridana Florida Fairy Shrimp
Eubranchipus bundyi Knobbedlip Fairy Shrimp
Eubranchipus holmanii Eastern Fairy Shrimp
Eubranchipus intricatus Smoothlip Fairy Shrimp
Eubranchipus moorei Coastal Plain Fairy Shrimp
Eubranchipus neglectus Neglected Fairy Shrimp
Eubranchipus oregonius Oregon Fairy Shrimp
Eubranchipus ornatus Ornate Fairy Shrimp
Eubranchipus serratus Ethologist Fairy Shrimp
Eubranchipus vernalis Springtime Fairy Shrimp
Linderiella occidentalis California Fairy Shrimp
Linderiella santarosae Santa Rosa Plateau Fairy Shrimp
Polyartemiella hazeni Antlered Fairy Shrimp
Polyartemiella judayi Beringian Fairy Shrimp
Streptocephalus dorothae New Mexico Fairy Shrimp
Streptocephalus linderi Spinyfinger Fairy Shrimp
Streptocephalus mackini Chihuahuan Desert Fairy Shrimp
Streptocephalus mattoxi Crenatethumb Fairy Shrimp
Streptocephalus moorei Spinythumb Fairy Shrimp
*Streptocephalus sealii Spinytail Fairy Shrimp*
Streptocephalus similis Lesser Spinytail Fairy Shrimp
*Streptocephalus texanus Greater Plains Fairy Shrimp*
Streptocephalus woottoni Riverside Fairy Shrimp
Branchinella acaciodea Acacia Fairy Shrimp
Branchinella alachua Alachua Fairy Shrimp
Branchinella lithaca	 Stone Mountain Fairy Shrimp
Branchinella sublettei Salt Playa Fairy Shrimp
Thamnocephalus mexicanus Mexican Beavertail Fairy Shrimp
*Thamnocephalus platyurus Beavertail Fairy Shrimp*
Caenestheriella gynecia Feminine Clam Shrimp
Cyzicus belfragei Great Plains Clam Shrimp
Cyzicus californicus California Clam Shrimp
Cyzicus elongatus Elongate Clam Shrimp
Cyzicus mexicanus	Mexican Clam Shrimp
Cyzicus morsei Centerhump Clam Shrimp
Cyzicus setosa Bristletail Clam Shrimp
Eocyzicus concavus Swaybacked Clam Shrimp
Eocyzicus digueti Straightbacked Clam Shrimp
Leptestheria compleximanus Spineynose Clam Shrimp
Eulimnadia agassizii	 A Clam Shrimp
Eulimnadia antlei Fuzzy Cyst Clam Shrimp
Eulimnadia astraova Star Cyst Clam Shrimp
Eulimnadia cylindrova Cylindrical Cyst Clam Shrimp
Eulimnadia diversa Diversity Clam Shrimp
*Eulimnadia texana Texan Clam Shrimp*
Eulimnadia lenticularis Euroamerican Clam Shrimp
Lynceus brachyurus Holarctic Clam Shrimp
Lynceus brevifrons	Short Finger Clam Shrimp
Lynceus gracilicornis Graceful Clam Shrimp
Lynceus mucronatus Hookleg Clam Shrimp
Paralimnetis texana Pointytop Finger Clam Shrimp
Lepidurus	bilobatus Bilobed Tadpole Shrimp
Lepidurus	couesii Round Spine Tadpole Shrimp
Lepidurus	lemmoni Lemon Tadpole Shrimp
Lepidurus	packardi Vernal Pool Tadpole Shrimp
Triops longicaudatus Longtail Tadpole Shrimp
Triops newberryi Desert Tadpole Shrimp


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## Scythemantis (May 3, 2006)

I somehow had no idea that various "giant" fairy shrimp existed. Your friend's photo is the most amazing thing I've ever seen...and these guys are predatory?

Why doesn't anyone breed those in captivity? Surely it can't be much harder than other species. I read that they're predatory and feed exclusively on slightly smaller species, but still...


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## lychas (May 3, 2006)

where abouts would i be able 2 find dirt that i can hatch shrimp out of, i live in australia


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## iturnrocks (May 3, 2006)

lychas said:
			
		

> where abouts would i be able 2 find dirt that i can hatch shrimp out of, i live in australia



I could send you some.  Im not really sure on australias import laws, but its really just dirt, so I doubt anyone would stop it.  PM me your address and ill run a quote for you.  Im pretty sure itll be about $15-$20  USD for about 1/2 Kg of dirt.  Or even less if you dont mind waiting 4-6 weeks.


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## iturnrocks (May 3, 2006)

Scythemantis said:
			
		

> Why doesn't anyone breed those in captivity? Surely it can't be much harder than other species


Im hoping my friend will snag some for me next time hes in the area.  I would really like to breed them.


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## Stylopidae (May 5, 2006)

I think it's worth mentioning that if you decide to wait 4 to six weeks, they'll be just fine. The eggs will last for years.

iturnrocks: Do you think you could make a map of all the areas that have vernal pool inverts? I'd like to do some hunting in my area (Iowa) but don't really want to waste my time.


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## cacoseraph (May 5, 2006)

iturnrocks said:
			
		

> I could send you some.  Im not really sure on australias import laws, but its really just dirt, so I doubt anyone would stop it.  PM me your address and ill run a quote for you.  Im pretty sure itll be about $15-$20  USD for about 1/2 Kg of dirt.  Or even less if you dont mind waiting 4-6 weeks.


you might want to reconsider... OZ is insane about keeping stuff like this out.  they are strict about exporting native fauna but they are truly insane about keeping exotic fauna out!


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## Dom (May 5, 2006)

cacoseraph said:
			
		

> you might want to reconsider... OZ is insane about keeping stuff like this out.  they are strict about exporting native fauna but they are truly insane about keeping exotic fauna out!


Yeah that's true, there could be serious legal consequences sending things like that to OZ. They have MANY invasive species that are causing serious problems there.

Excellent pics and thread BTW iturnrocks!


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## dtknow (May 5, 2006)

Australia has their own Triops species which can be purchased there.


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## iturnrocks (May 5, 2006)

Dom said:
			
		

> Yeah that's true, there could be serious legal consequences sending things like that to OZ. They have MANY invasive species that are causing serious problems there.
> 
> Excellent pics and thread BTW iturnrocks!


But really, i wouldnt be shipping it as exotic animals, I would be shipping it as a bag of dirt.  If someone were to open the package, they would see a bag of dirt.  Unless they have a policy on keeping out exotic dirt, I doubt there would be any consequences.  Branchiopods eggs can not be identified short of a detailed examination with a microscope or magnifying glass.  I think all customs would see is a bag of dirt.

They might think thats suspicious and inquire about it, but thats as far as it would go


If I ship to australia, I will email the hatching instructions, so there is no evidence of anything but dirt.


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## iturnrocks (May 5, 2006)

Evil Cheshire said:
			
		

> iturnrocks: Do you think you could make a map of all the areas that have vernal pool inverts? I'd like to do some hunting in my area (Iowa) but don't really want to waste my time.



I think you have me mistaken for someone else.  I work in a warehouse for $10 an hour.  I dont travel the US mapping vernal pools.

Maybe if this dirt selling picks up i could do that someday.


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## lychas (May 5, 2006)

dtknow said:
			
		

> Australia has their own Triops species which can be purchased there.


any idea where i could get some?


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## Stylopidae (May 6, 2006)

iturnrocks said:
			
		

> I think you have me mistaken for someone else.  I work in a warehouse for $10 an hour.  I dont travel the US mapping vernal pools.
> 
> Maybe if this dirt selling picks up i could do that someday.



Look at Cacoseraph's USA scolopendrid maps. He rarely leaves his rialto centiburrow. I'm sure you have resources much better than mine (seeing as how a google turned up next to nothing), since this is your area of interest.


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## iturnrocks (May 6, 2006)

Evil Cheshire said:
			
		

> Look at Cacoseraph's USA scolopendrid maps. He rarely leaves his rialto centiburrow. I'm sure you have resources much better than mine (seeing as how a google turned up next to nothing), since this is your area of interest.


Perhaps you should read this

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernal_pool

I couldnt tell if a site would produce without actually visiting it.  Google Earth isnt clear enough for me to make an educated guess.
If you read Cacoseraph's whole post you will see that his USA scolopendrid maps arent really his.

All the taxo and range/dist. information from R. Shelley's site

Name: Rowland M Shelley
Title: Curator of Terrestrial Invertebrates
Phone: 756
email rowland.shelley@ncmail.net 
Section(s): Research and Collections

Now if I was the Curator of Aquatic Invertebrates I might be able to help you out. But like I said, I am shipping and receiving guy at marine accessories warehouse.  If you want to know where to get some Retractable Tie Downs, Im your man.

If you want to buy some dirt that contains branchiopods, I do sell it.  PM me for more info.


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## iturnrocks (May 6, 2006)

I finally snagged a clam shrimp and took some pics 

He is about 1.5mm in length 

I believe this may be Eulimnadia texana -Texan Clam Shrimp


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## dtknow (May 7, 2006)

Wow...now that is one weird bugger.

Found a site for Triops australiensis
http://www.billabongbugs.com/


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## iturnrocks (May 7, 2006)

Im in the process of switching hosting providers, so in the next week or so, my pictures might not show up intermittently.


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## Stylopidae (May 8, 2006)

Yeah...I realized that, but I figured there would be some sort of enthusiast webring that I didn't know about. Or a scientist specializing it that kept some sort of website (Like Rowland Shelley.)

I'll check the link out...thanks, man.

I'll let you know if I happen to dig anything up. Or net it up...whatever


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## iturnrocks (May 8, 2006)

Evil Cheshire said:
			
		

> Yeah...I realized that, but I figured there would be some sort of enthusiast webring that I didn't know about. Or a scientist specializing it that kept some sort of website (Like Rowland Shelley.)
> 
> I'll check the link out...thanks, man.
> 
> I'll let you know if I happen to dig anything up. Or net it up...whatever


Heres the sites I use:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fairyshrimp/
This yahoo group is basically dead.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/triopsforever/
This one is quite active- mostly about tadpole shrimp

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/exotic_triops/
This one gets posts occasionally- another tadpole shrimp group

http://www.iturnrocks.com/cgi-bin/forum/
This is a forum i started, so far only 7 members, and I make most of the posts.

http://www.ecoanalysts.com/
EcoAnalysts, an independent environmental consulting firm located in Moscow, Idaho.  Our area of expertise is the identification of freshwater aquatic organisms; macroinvertebrates, periphyton, plankton, and fish. We also offer aquatic bioassessment and biological monitoring services.  I would think if youre looking for a Rowland Shelley, you would find him/her here.

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda/crustacea/branchiopoda.html
Introduction to Branchiopoda

http://www.mytriops.com/
another page focusing on tadpole shrimp

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vernalpool/
A yahoo group about vernal pools, Discussion is encouraged about scientific research, on-going vernal pool education projects at the elementary through graduate school levels, and about the first spotted salamander sightings of spring, among other things. 

http://vernalpool.org/vernal_1.htm
The vernal pool association-  The Vernal Pool Association began in 1990 as an environmental outreach project at Reading Memorial High School, Reading, Massachusetts. It is now an independent group of individuals attempting to educate others about vernal pool ecology, the local environment, bio-diversity, and the protection of our resources.


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## Scolopendra55 (May 8, 2006)

Very cool!!


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## iturnrocks (May 9, 2006)

*New Pics*

I just took some new pics of the larger fairy shrimp i find.  This one was hatched in an artificial pond in my back yard.  Pretty much a koi pond without the fish.  I tossed some of my dirt in there a couple months ago, and today i netted some fairy shrimp (and a lot of mosquito larvae).

Fairy Shrimp sex ed.  This is a pic of a male.  No, i didnt look under the tail....

The males have (ill have to look up the actual term) horns or tusks or big things that come out of their heads.  They show up quite clearly in these pics.

Beavertail Fairy Shrimp, <i>Thamnocephalus platyurus</i>


















The tail wasnt showing up in my pics, so I tried a darker background







If you were to take a look underneath and see something, that would be a female with eggs.


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## Stylopidae (May 10, 2006)

iturnrocks said:
			
		

> Heres the sites I use:
> 
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fairyshrimp/
> This yahoo group is basically dead.
> ...


Woah. I have my work cut out for me now!

Thanks a million. I'll start checking this out and I'll post if I find anything.


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## iturnrocks (May 14, 2006)

Evil Cheshire said:
			
		

> Woah. I have my work cut out for me now!
> 
> Thanks a million. I'll start checking this out and I'll post if I find anything.


 You find anything yet?


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## Scorp guy (May 15, 2006)

omg....those tadpole shrimp things....thats what i saw!!!!

i swear, when i was at my cousins house, about 4 miles from where i live, hes in the country, we saw these little things swimming around in the rice fields  they looked like those trilobytes a whole lot, and then i thought they were triops  they were quite large, about 6 inches long. and i saw your picsturres, and where you found them at, and it looks much like when the rice fields flood and are very deep with water......thanks for clearing that up for me...i guess. thought id seen a mini monster or something


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## Scythemantis (May 15, 2006)

Triops and Tadpole Shrimp are the same thing


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## iturnrocks (May 16, 2006)

Scythemantis said:
			
		

> Triops and Tadpole Shrimp are the same thing



The order Notostraca (colloquially referred to as notostracans, called Triops, tadpole shrimp or shield shrimp) are small crustaceans in the class Branchiopoda. Triops have internal compound eyes and a flattened carapace covering the head and leg-bearing segments of the body. The order contains a single family, with only two extant genera. Their external morphology has not changed since the Triassic appearance of Triops cancriformis around 220 million years ago. Triops cancriformis may therefore be the "oldest living animal species on earth" (Kelber, 1999).

Tadpole shrimps usually live near the ground of astatic pools, where they move with their ventral side down. However, lack of oxygen can force them to swim upside-down with their gill-like legs close under the surface of the water. Notostraca are omnivorous; they dig around in the mud using the frontal part of their shield, looking not only for plankton but also for larger prey such as worms, chironomid larvae and even weak tadpoles. Anostracans, often associated with notostracans, can also be a considerable part of their prey (especially when weak or dying).

Notostracans sometimes even cannibalise freshly moulted members of the same species. In northern and central Europe, with few exceptions, all tadpole shrimps are female, whereas the sexes in southern and western Europe as well as in northern Africa are nearly equal in number. These "females" possess hermaphroditic glands, but instead of selfing, parthenogenesis takes place. Modified appendages of the 11th pair of limbs bear the ovisacs with the mature eggs.

Triops survives in temporary pools all over the world, and are correspondingly short-lived. These ponds usually dry up during certain times of the year when there is no rainfall. Although the adult Triops die during these droughts, the embryos remain in a state of diapause (suspended animation) until the rains return and fill up the temporary pools once again, allowing them to hatch.

The maximum life spans in the lab agree with data from field observations on Triops survival. In the lab, T. longicaudatus has a maximum lifespan of about 50 days and T. cancriformis a maximum lifespan of about 90 days, with some individuals beginning to die off as soon as two weeks after hatching. Secondarily, some may suffer premature deaths from moulting complications or other reasons.

Notostracans can be found on virtually every continent.

In Austria, two notostracan species (one spring species and one summer species) were documented: Lepidurus apus (Linnaeus, 1758), Triops cancriformis (Bosc, 1801). In the Americas, several species have been identified, including Triops longicaudatus and Triops newberryi. In Australia, Triops australiensis is found. Other common types are: Triops numidicus, Triops granarius.

Notostracans are often sold to children in small packets as eggs as an interesting science project or as a beginner's kit for their first aquarium. One pours distilled or spring water onto the eggs, and they will hatch out very quickly.

These creatures can make a useful addition to a freshwater aquarium, as they keep the substrate very clean and eat almost anything they find. They may, however pose a slight danger to very small fish or other crustaceans, and may in turn be eaten by large fish. Also, they may damage the roots of aquarium plants they encounter if not kept well fed. They are also very short-lived pets, but are easily replaceable.

The easiest way to regenerate Triops is to siphon the water down to the substrate or siphon out as much water as possible without sucking up the eggs at the bottom. Let the substrate or container dry completely at room temperature and leave it dry for at least two weeks.

Dried eggs and substrate can be stored for years but only a two-week wait is needed for good hatching rates. Optionally the substrate and eggs can be frozen for a few days in an air-tight container. This simulates the passing of an entire season and has been shown in lab studies to increase the percentage of eggs that hatch on the first hydration.

Add distilled or spring water to the eggs and start the whole process over again. Some have had success using clear, unpolluted stream water. While most instructions for Triops care caution against using tap water, filtered tap water has been successfully used to raise Triops longicaudatus.

Triops are often the top predators in vernal ponds, and they will eat anything smaller than themselves. They also are an important food source for visiting birds. In some areas, certain species of Triops are considered pests, as they damage young rice plants.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triops


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## iturnrocks (May 21, 2006)

iturnrocks said:
			
		

> I finally snagged a clam shrimp and took some pics
> 
> He is about 1.5mm in length
> 
> I believe this may be Eulimnadia texana -Texan Clam Shrimp


After further review, I believe this is an ostracod (seed shrimp).  The sneaky clam shrimp has eluded me still.

I reworked my Branchiopod Forum, it has a new look and new location-
North American Branchiopod Forum


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