Lacking any dispersal mechanism of their own, fairy shrimp are permanent residents of temporary pools. We can only assume they are dispersed inadvertently by other animals, such as waterfowl and amphibians, or by wind and flooding events. Worldwide there are some 300 species found scattered across all seven continents, with 64 known in North America. Generally about ¾-inch long, fairy shrimp are easily recognized by their combination of stalked eyes, “upside-down” swimming behavior, and often orange, reddish, bronze, or bluish coloration. Fossils of fairy shrimp date back to the Cambrian Period (more than 500 million years ago), long before the first fish introduced simple vertebrate anatomy to the world. Originally populating the world’s oceans, fairy shrimp were eventually forced by evolving predators into shallow, temporary freshwater habitats.
Knob-lipped Fairy Shrimp (Eubranchipus bundyi)
One of the most common species throughout North America. This reddish-orange fairy shrimp is most often seen in early spring, shortly after ice-out in vernal pools. Visit the VAL species page. »
Smooth-lipped Fairy Shrimp (Eubranchipus intricatus)
The Smooth-lipped Fairy Shrimp, aka Intricate Fairy Shrimp, is a small elongated crustacean that filter feeds with rhythmic movements of its legs as it swims. It was first discovered in Vermont by this project in 2022. Visit the VAL species page. »
