Specieswatch: the precarious life of a fairy shrimp

These translucent creatures increase species' survival prospect by staggering their developmentThe fairy shrimp, Chirocephalus diaphanus, lives a precarious existence, sometimes waiting years for rain to come along so that dormant eggs can hatch.In a seasonal pond, or even in a puddle in a tractor rut, fairy shrimps race to grow to maturity, mate and lay eggs before their habitat dries out again. Continue reading...