Aquaculture
Guides
Artemia franciscana
San Francisco brine shrimp
Artemia franciscana is a small crustacean native to hypersaline environments of the Americas, now widely introduced globally for aquaculture. The species exhibits exceptional reproductive plasticity, switching between ovoviviparity (live birth of nauplii) and oviparity (production of dormant cysts) based on environmental conditions. It matures rapidly, reaching reproductive age in under 20 days, and serves as a critical live food source in commercial fish and shellfish farming. The species shows pronounced phenotypic plasticity in response to salinity and temperature stress.
Artemiidae
Brine Shrimp
Artemiidae is a family of branchiopod crustaceans containing the single genus Artemia, commonly known as brine shrimp. These organisms inhabit hypersaline inland waters worldwide where their extreme salinity tolerance excludes most predators. The family has remained morphologically unchanged since the Triassic period. Artemiidae species serve as important food sources for waterbirds and as intermediate hosts for avian cestodes. Their desiccation-resistant cysts have enabled commercial harvest and widespread use in aquaculture as live feed.
Branchiopoda
Branchiopods
Branchiopoda is a class of small, primarily freshwater crustaceans unified by the presence of gills on their appendages—giving the group its name from Greek 'bránkhia' (gill) and 'poús' (foot). The class comprises fairy shrimp (Anostraca), tadpole shrimp (Notostraca), clam shrimp (Spinicaudata, Laevicaudata, Cyclestherida), and water fleas (Cladocera/Diplostraca), plus the extinct Devonian Lepidocaris. Most are filter-feeders on plankton and detritus, though notostracans are opportunistic omnivores. Many species inhabit temporary pools and produce desiccation-resistant resting eggs, allowing survival through dry periods.
Fucellia
seaweed flies
Fucellia is a genus of true flies (Diptera) in the family Anthomyiidae, commonly known as seaweed flies. The genus comprises at least 20 described species that inhabit marine and coastal environments, particularly in association with seaweed. Several species have been studied for their potential use in aquaculture feed due to their fatty acid profiles and protein content.
Heterocheilidae
half-bridge flies
Heterocheilidae is a family of parasitic nematodes (phylum Nematoda) within the order Rhabditida and infraorder Ascaridomorpha. Members are intestinal parasites primarily infecting fish hosts, including elasmobranchs and teleosts. The family includes genera such as Brevimulticaecum, Ortleppascaris, and Dujardinascaris. Notably, the name 'Heterocheilidae' has also been applied to a family of dipteran insects (true flies), but this usage is taxonomically distinct and not accepted in current nematode classification.
Phronima
Phronima is a genus of small, deep-sea hyperiid amphipods found throughout the world's oceans except polar regions. These semitransparent pelagic crustaceans are technically parasitoids rather than parasites: females attack salps, hollow out their gelatinous tunicates to create protective 'barrels,' and rear their young inside these structures. The genus possesses extraordinary compound eyes adapted to detect blue-green wavelengths, enabling navigation in dim mid-ocean environments where bioluminescence serves as critical ecological signals. Phronima has gained cultural recognition as a possible inspiration for the Alien Queen design in the 1986 film 'Aliens.'
Procambarus
crayfish, crawfish, crawdad
Procambarus is a genus of freshwater crayfish in the family Cambaridae, native to North and Central America. The genus contains approximately 160 species in 16 subgenera, making it one of the most species-rich crayfish genera. It includes both widespread surface-dwelling species and numerous troglobitic (cave-dwelling) species. The marbled crayfish (marmorkrebs), a parthenogenetic form, is also classified within this genus. Several species, particularly P. clarkii (red swamp crayfish), have been introduced globally and are recognized as invasive species with significant ecological and economic impacts.
Procambarus acutus
White River Crayfish
Procambarus acutus, commonly known as the white river crayfish, is a freshwater crayfish species in the family Cambaridae native to eastern North America. The species exhibits a disjunct native distribution spanning from the Atlantic Slope to the Gulf of Mexico drainages. It has been introduced to multiple regions outside its native range, including parts of Europe and Africa, where it poses potential ecological and economic risks. Two subspecies are recognized: P. a. acutus and P. a. cuevachicae.
Procambarus clarkii
red swamp crayfish, Louisiana crawfish, mudbug, red swamp crawfish
Procambarus clarkii is a freshwater crayfish native to northern Mexico and the south-central United States, particularly the Mississippi Basin and Gulf Coast. It is highly adaptable to warm, slow-moving freshwater habitats including marshes, rice paddies, and irrigation systems. The species tolerates low dissolved oxygen, moderate salinity, and dry spells up to four months. It has been introduced globally and is a significant invasive pest in Europe, Africa, and Asia, where it outcompetes native crayfish and vectors crayfish plague. It is also the foundation of a major aquaculture industry, particularly in Louisiana and China.
Stenopus hispidus
banded coral shrimp, banded cleaner shrimp, coral banded shrimp
Stenopus hispidus is a marine decapod crustacean in the family Stenopodidae, recognized as one of the most widely distributed cleaner shrimps in tropical seas. The species reaches 60 mm in total length and exhibits striking red-and-white banded coloration on the carapace, abdomen, and enlarged third pereiopods. It is exclusively monogamous, with pairs occupying reef territories 1–2 meters in diameter. The species advertises cleaning services to client fish through a distinctive "dancing" behavior involving lateral antennae movement, and removes parasites, fungi, and damaged tissue using its three pairs of claws. Females are typically larger than males and carry externally fertilized eggs until hatching.