Status
- There are six records of this species within 5 miles of the preserve according to the CNDDB1
- The vernal pool fairy shrimp is federally listed as threatened. Habitat destruction and alteration are the biggest causes of decline
Habitat
- The shrimp’s habitat is limited to vernal pools in Oregon and California
Feeding Behavior/Diet
- Vernal pool fairy shrimp swim around upside down, eating algae and plankton growing in the vernal pool
- In order to digest their food, they must produce a thick, glue-like substance to mix with their meal
Reproduction
- Each winter, during the rainy season, dry depressions fill up with water and the fairy shrimp hatch
- They grow to maturity over several weeks, eating algae and plankton
- Before the vernal pool dries up again, the females produce hardy resting eggs, called cysts, which survive the dry season and hatch when the rains come again
- It takes 41 days for a shrimp to reach maturity2
1 HELIX Environmental Planning Carson Creek Preserve Long Term Management Plan Rev 6/15/2021
2 https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide