fairy shrimp

noun

1. any member of the crustacean order Anostraca, characterized by an elongate trunk with more than 20 segments and the absence of a carapace, typically found swimming ventral side up in fresh water.

fairy shrimp

noun

1. any small freshwater branchiopod crustacean of the genera Chirocephalus , Artemia , etc, having a transparent body with many appendages and habitually swimming on its back: order Anostraca

Word History and Origins

Origin of fairy shrimp¹

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

Vernal Pools are safe havens for creatures like the fairy shrimp, who have lived through the end of the dinosaurs, the breakup of Pangea, and multiple ice ages, but humans are paving them over.

From Scientific American

Inside a vault at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles lies a microscopic population of immense value—the repository for vernal pool fairy shrimp.

From Scientific American

Carpets of gold, burrowing toads and fairy shrimp all depend on vernal pools—habitats that, most of the time, do not exist.

From Scientific American

Vernal pools are home to spectacular residents, like the fairy shrimp, but these unusual natural wonders are under threat.

From Scientific American

They help purify surface water and provide crucial habitat for creatures such as the Sonoran Desert toad, fairy shrimp, and Wilson’s warbler.

From Science Magazine