Branchinella spinosa
Encyclopedia
Branchinella spinosa is a species within the family Thamnocephalidae
. This fairy shrimp
species occurs in parts of Southern Africa
, notably the Makgadikgadi Pans of Botswana
. Other crustacean
species found in this region of Botswana in co-existence with B. spinosa include Moina belli
.
Thamnocephalidae
Thamnocephalidae is a family of crustaceans with wide distribution including Western Australia and Southern Africa. It was originally described as a subfamily of Branchipodidae by Alpheus Spring Packard in 1883, and elevated to the rank of family by Simon in 1886...
. This fairy shrimp
Fairy shrimp
Anostraca is one of the four orders of crustaceans in the class Branchiopoda; its members are also known as fairy shrimp. They are usually long . Most species have 20 body segments, bearing 11 pairs of leaf-like phyllopodia , and the body lacks a carapace...
species occurs in parts of Southern Africa
Southern Africa
Southern Africa is the southernmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. Within the region are numerous territories, including the Republic of South Africa ; nowadays, the simpler term South Africa is generally reserved for the country in English.-UN...
, notably the Makgadikgadi Pans of Botswana
Botswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
. Other crustacean
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...
species found in this region of Botswana in co-existence with B. spinosa include Moina belli
Moina belli
Moina belli is a species of crustaceans within the family Moinidae, described by Robert Gurney in 1904. This species lives in waters containing high salinity and other impurities, such as the Makgadikgadi Pans region of Botswana, where the salinity is extremely high....
.