Aliens in the Desert?

Heavy rains across Central Australia have brought about the ephemeral phenomenon of tiny shield shrimps hatching from years of obscurity in the middle of the desert.

Yet these shrimps are more sea monkey than edible foodstuff.

“They’re not a true shrimp,” expert Michael Barritt told ABC Radio Darwin.

“So forget about prawns and that sort of look. They look a bit shrimp-ish but have this big shield across the tip of their bodies.”

Growing to seven centimetres at maturity, the shrimps are members of the crustacean family yet look more like an alien tadpole with a double-pronged tail.

A remnant of prehistoric times, on mainland Australia there is only one type of shield shrimp (triops australiensis) and it is commonly found across the middle section of the country.

While occasionally found in drainpipes or ditches all year round, the shield shrimps are most often found temporarily in bodies of water that periodically dry up.

“They can turn up in the absolute millions upon millions,” Mr Barritt said.

“Even to the point of appearing on top of the rock of Uluru.”

Source
ABC News