Tadpole Shrimp (Triops)

Tadpole shrimp is well known as Triops. Triops is Greek word, τρί(tri) meaing third and όψη(opsi) meaning look or sight, they have three eyes like their name. Two eyes can be found easily on the front of head, the third eye is middle of other two eyes, and it has light color than other eyes. Triops can't see through the eyes, but distinguish the brightness of light. They have a pair of long antenna at the front of legs, and use them to find food and detect nearby movements.

Triops's eggs are 270-400 micrometer in diameter, and hatch out in water temperature range 60°F to 95°F. Hatched Triops is 0.8mm, orange color and look almost same with fairy shrimp's larva. Baby Triops double its size every day in the best condition, and begin to develop the shell two days after hatching and are being ready to hunt fairy shrimp and water flea. A female Triops starts reproducing in 10 days after hatching, and leaves hundreds eggs in their lifetime. Triops usually live 6-12 weeks, and grow up to 2 inches (not including furcate tail).

Triops have two egg sacks, and each egg sack contains 10-30 eggs at once, but the capacity depends on the size of Triops. Female Triops put the eggs on the bottom of pond and cover them slightly with mud. On the first week of reproducing, they produce eggs once or twice every day, then become slower; this habit becomes more obvious with the Triops living in Dry Lake (Playa). Egg sacks tailed at the end of shell.

Triops starts hunting fairy shrimps 2 days after hatching, and eating up dozens in a day. Sometimes, single Triops hunts over 500 fairy shrimps in a week. Also, they eat the dead body of Triops or hunt smaller Triops! So they are called as "Predator". However, the name is showing a small part of Triops's character. Triops only hunt other shrimps when they don't have enough food. When they have enough food like dead plant and algae, they stay under the bottom of pond and eat only the dead shrimps, and never touch the dead body of Triops. When they couldn't find enough supply from the bottom, then come up to the surface and search for dead flying bugs.

Tadpole Shrimp	Triops from vernal pool
Triops's ventral side 1024 x 768	Triops, fairy shrimp, and clam shrimp