Shield Shrimp
Triops australiensis
Shield Shrimp are the most strange-looking and distinctive of all desert crustaceans, and occur over much of inland Australia. Populations of these peculiar creatures explode following rain, and they can be found teeming in temporary pools and water-filled clay pans. Colour is typically olive green to brown; adult shrimp reach about 90 mm in body length. Only one species recognised in Australia, but a recent study found evidence for 17 additional undescribed species.
Shield Shrimp belong to a group of crustaceans called "branchiopods", which literally means "gill feet". They possess leaf-like, lobed feet, each bearing a gill plate to enable them to breathe. The "shield" is a carapace that protects the head and frontal portion of the multi-segmented body. Females carry their eggs under the body; these are highly resistant to drying out, and they can survive for many years in the desert clay before hatching.
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