Streptocephalus woottoni
Encyclopedia
Streptocephalus woottoni is a rare species of crustacean
in the family Streptocephalidae. It is native to southern California
in the United States and Baja California
in Mexico. Its common name is Riverside fairy shrimp. It is a federally listed endangered species
of the United States.
This fairy shrimp lives in vernal pool
s or other seasonal pools at least 30 centimeters in depth, and can be observed in January through March. It feeds on microscopic organisms such as bacteria and protozoa. The eggs are cysts that can tolerate drying and persist in the soil through the dry seasons until pools are formed by rainwater. The shrimp then hatches and completes its life cycle in 7 or 8 weeks.
This organism can be found in five locations in southern California and two in Mexico. Some known occurrences have been extirpated
, including the type locality
in Murrieta
. The shrimp is threatened by the loss, degradation, and fragmentation
of its 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 Streptocephalidae. 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. Its common name is Riverside fairy shrimp. 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 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...
s or other seasonal pools at least 30 centimeters in depth, and can be observed in January through March. It feeds on microscopic organisms such as bacteria and protozoa. The eggs are cysts that can tolerate drying and persist in the soil through the dry seasons until pools are formed by rainwater. The shrimp then hatches and completes its life cycle in 7 or 8 weeks.
This organism can be found in five locations in southern California and two in Mexico. Some known occurrences have 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...
, including the type locality
Type locality
Type locality may refer to:* Type locality * Type locality...
in Murrieta
Murrieta, California
Murrieta has a Mediterranean climate or Dry-Summer Subtropical . Murrieta has plenty of sunshine throughout the year, with an average of 263 sunshine days and 35 days with measurable precipitation annually....
. The shrimp is threatened by the loss, degradation, and fragmentation
Habitat fragmentation
Habitat fragmentation as the name implies, describes the emergence of discontinuities in an organism's preferred environment , causing population fragmentation...
of its habitat.