Thamnocephalidae
Guides
Dendrocephalus
fairy shrimp
Dendrocephalus is a genus of fairy shrimp (Anostraca) in the family Thamnocephalidae, distributed across South and North America. The genus is characterized by a distinctive antenna-like frontal appendage arising between the second antennae and the eyestalks. It comprises approximately 17 species arranged in two subgenera: Dendrocephalus (South American species) and Dendrocephalinus (North American species). Several species have been described recently, with ongoing taxonomic work revealing intra-populational polymorphism in frontal appendage morphology.