Hypersaline
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.
Artemia monica
Mono Lake brine shrimp
Artemia monica is a brine shrimp species endemic to Mono Lake, California. It is a sibling species of the widespread A. franciscana, with which it is reproductively isolated due to different water requirements. The species exhibits strong salinity-dependent life history traits, with higher salinities reducing hatching success, survival, growth, and reproductive output while prolonging developmental timelines.
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.
Hygrotini
Hygrotini is a tribe of small diving beetles in the subfamily Hydroporinae. The tribe contains approximately 137 species, most of which inhabit freshwater environments. Multiple lineages have independently evolved tolerance to saline and hypersaline conditions, with some species surviving in concentrations more than double that of seawater.
Saltonia
Saltonia is a monotypic genus of North American cribellate araneomorph spiders containing the single species Saltonia incerta. The genus was first described in 1942 and has undergone several taxonomic revisions, most recently moved to the family Argyronetidae in 2025. It represents a rare relict lineage restricted to hypersaline desert habitats in southwestern North America.
Trichocorixa
water boatmen
Trichocorixa is a genus of water boatmen in the family Corixidae comprising approximately 14 described species. Members of this genus are notable for their exceptional tolerance of saline and hypersaline habitats, ranging from brackish coastal marshes to salt ponds with salinities exceeding 150‰. Several species have become invasive outside their native ranges, with documented ecological impacts through predation on brine shrimp and other zooplankton. The genus exhibits complex life history adaptations including staggered egg hatching, salinity-dependent embryonic development, and overwintering strategies that vary among species and populations.
Trichocorixa reticulata
water boatman
Trichocorixa reticulata is a water boatman (family Corixidae) inhabiting saline and hypersaline aquatic environments. The species exhibits exceptional osmotic tolerance, surviving salinities from freshwater to full seawater (~3.5%). Populations show synchronized annual breeding cycles with peak reproduction in May-July. Females are larger than males, and eggs are deposited on solid substrates including algae and pool surfaces. Both adults and nymphs function as predators and scavengers.