Invertebrate · GBIF taxon 2235237
Brine Shrimp
Artemia salinaAlso known as Common Brine Shrimp, Sea Monkeys
Brine shrimp inhabit hypersaline inland lakes and salt pans where extreme salt concentrations keep most potential predators at bay. Females produce resilient dormant eggs called cysts that can withstand total desiccation, extreme cold, and radiation for years before hatching when submerged in water. Their continuous, graceful swimming via beating leaf-like limbs helps aerate water while filtering microalgae from the brine.
ExtremophileCrustaceanFilter Feeder
Licensed referenceHans Hillewaert / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Green algae
- Diatoms
- Bacteria
Predators
- Flamingos
- Migratory shorebirds
- Water boatmen
ThreatsHabitat loss, water diversion, and pollution in salt lakes
HabitatsHypersaline lakes, salt flats, and coastal evaporative ponds
Life spanUp to 1 year
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyArtemiidae
- SpeciesArtemia salina
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Observing in the wild: Look for reddish or pinkish swarms along the edges of high-salinity ponds.
- Rearing at home: Maintain stable salt concentrations and gentle aeration to support healthy colonies.
Predator "Greater Flamingo" by btrentler is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/. · cc-by
Distant Relative Distant Relative
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