Triops In Hawaii !

Few people in Hawaii know that tadpole shrimp (Triops longicaudatus) occur here. They are very ephemeral occurring only in temporary (vernal) ponds. We discovered these Triops in small pools created by truck tires on the road from Mokuleia to Kaena Point on January 11. Heavy rains passed through here January 2. Notice in the final shots how they swirl around in the mud creating small pits. These little pits persist after the pools dry up so now we know how they are created. Also, we noticed lots of bird tracks along the edge of the pools with these shrimp, so this is an easy way to tell which pools have shrimp.

Photos by Marj Awai, video by Bruce Carlson

[taxonomy:binomial=Triops longicaudatus]