Branchinecta sandiegonensis
Encyclopedia
Branchinecta sandiegonensis is a rare species of crustacean
in the family Branchinectidae
and the order Anostraca, the fairy shrimp. Its common name is San Diego fairy shrimp. It is native to southern California
in the United States and Baja California
in Mexico. It is a federally listed endangered species
of the United States.
This fairy shrimp is 8 to 16 millimeters in length.
This organism occurs between Santa Barbara, California
, and nortwestern Baja California, with its distribution centered in San Diego County, California
. It lives in vernal pool
habitat. It has been identified at 137 vernal pool complexes, many of which have since been extirpated
. Others, however, have been restored and preserved, and the shrimp has been reintroduced into appropriate pool habitat.
Crustacean
Crustaceans form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 50,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at , to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span...
in the family Branchinectidae
Branchinectidae
Branchinectidae is a family in the order Anostraca , containing two genera – Branchinecta and Archaebranchinecta. The majority of the species are in the genus Branchinecta, with only Archaebranchinecta pollicifera and the fossil Archaebranchinecta barstowensis in the second genus....
and the order Anostraca, the fairy shrimp. Its common name is San Diego fairy shrimp. It is native to southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
in the United States and Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
in Mexico. It is a federally listed endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
of the United States.
This fairy shrimp is 8 to 16 millimeters in length.
This organism occurs between Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
, and nortwestern Baja California, with its distribution centered in San Diego County, California
San Diego County, California
San Diego County is a large county located in the southwestern corner of the US state of California. Hence, San Diego County is also located in the southwestern corner of the 48 contiguous United States. Its county seat and largest city is San Diego. Its population was about 2,813,835 in the 2000...
. It lives in vernal pool
Vernal pool
Vernal pools, also called vernal ponds or ephemeral pools, are temporary pools of water. They are usually devoid of fish, and thus allow the safe development of natal amphibian and insect species...
habitat. It has been identified at 137 vernal pool complexes, many of which have since been extirpated
Local extinction
Local extinction, also known as extirpation, is the condition of a species which ceases to exist in the chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere...
. Others, however, have been restored and preserved, and the shrimp has been reintroduced into appropriate pool habitat.
External links
- Inland Water Crustacean Specialist Group 1996. Branchinecta sandiegonensis. 2011 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 6 September 2011.