Brine Shrimp What are brine shrimp Brine shrimp

Brine Shrimp

What are brine shrimp? • Brine shrimp are small crustaceans. Sometimes they are called “sea monkeys”, but they don’t live in the sea and they aren’t monkeys! http: //www. flickr. com/photos/bycp/5008459522/

http: //www. flickr. com/photos/63319497@N 00/2844629538/

Where do they live? • • They live in inland seas, salt flats and evaporating salt ponds; they don’t live in the ocean. They are found throughout the world, in places such as the Great Salt Lake in Utah. http: //www. flickr. com/photos/alw 2939/52290348/ Great Salt Lake, Utah Salt Pond in Northern California

Why are they important? • Brine shrimp are food for a number of animals, such as flamingos. Many people feed brine shrimp to fish in aquariums. http: //www. flickr. com/photos/pedrosz/2040577615/ http: //www. flickr. com/photos/exlibris/3241548153/

What is their life like? • • Brine shrimp grow from eggs to larvae to adults. When the water in their ponds evaporates, brine shrimp adults produce cyst-like eggs. The eggs can lie dormant in the driedup pond for up to 13 years! Dried-out eggs will hatch when rain falls. Dried up salt dissolves in the water, creating saltwater and a place for the eggs to hatch. http: //www. fao. org/docrep/field/003/AC 420 E 03. htm