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ARTHROPODS
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ARTHROPODS
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Brine shrimp are an effective way to look at arthropods. You can purchase them at most pet stores. They are sometimes called "sea monkeys." Brine shrimp are used to feed larger fish. We suggest using a petri dish or other see through container and look at them with the Swift GH microscope. Brine shrimp belong to the genus Artemia and are one of many small crustaceans of the order Anostraca (class Branchiopoda) inhabiting brine pools and other highly saline inland waters throughout the world. Young brine shrimp hatched there from dried eggs are used widely as food for fish and other small animals in aquariums. Measuring up to 15 mm (0.6 inch) in length, the body of the brine shrimp has a discrete head with a large eye and stalked compound eyes, a thorax bearing a series of limbs, and a slender abdomen without appendages. Brine shrimp normally swim in an upside down position by rhythmically beating their legs. They feed primarily on green algae, which they filter from the water with their legs |
