Brine-shrimp
Guides
Artemia
brine shrimp
Artemia is a genus of aquatic crustaceans commonly known as brine shrimp, the sole genus in the family Artemiidae. The genus comprises both bisexual and parthenogenetic species with considerable variation in salinity and temperature tolerances among populations. Species show ecological isolation based on lakewater chemistry differences, with competitive hierarchies established between sympatric taxa. Artemia has remained morphologically conservative since the Triassic period.
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.