The vernal pools were just teeming with life, including these cool little branchiopod crustaceans (~2 cm long). www.flickr.com/photos/anitagould/8690475495/in/photostream shows a shot in the hand.
There are 2 sp of Eubranchipus in NJ: E. vernalis & E. holmanii (nepis.epa.gov/Adobe/PDF/P1002R0O.pdf). The latter seems to be much less common, & has been proposed for listing as a species of special concern in NJ. I'm therefore guessing this is the former, but don't know how to tell them apart, or even whether it's possible to tell the females apart.
The vernal pools were just teeming with life, including these cool little branchiopod crustaceans.
There are 2 sp of Eubranchipus in NJ: E. vernalis & E. holmanii (nepis.epa.gov/Adobe/PDF/P1002R0O.pdf). The latter seems to be much less common, & has been proposed for listing as a species of special concern in NJ. I'm therefore guessing this is the former, but don't know how to tell them apart, or even whether it's possible to tell the females apart.
Small, shrimp like body. Many small legs and large eyes. Grayish-green color with a small forked tail.
Fairy shrimp in a vernal pool. Not sure if genus- or species-level ID is possible from the photograph...anyone familiar with the region's vernal pool fauna?
