California

Endangered Fairy Shrimp Discovered at Costa Mesa Park

The crustaceans are uniquely adapted to California's precipitation cycle.

After a wet winter in California, an endangered species of tiny crustacean popped up inside the vernal pools of a Costa Mesa park, NBC4's media partner KPCC reported.

Biologist Tony Bomkamp discovered the Riverside fairy shrimp at Fairview Park in Costa Mesa.

The crustaceans are uniquely adapted to California's precipitation cycle. The fairy shrimp's eggs dwell at the dry bottom of seasonal pools for years. When they fill up with rain water, the eggs pop out, grow, mate and then die when they dry out.

Read more from KPCC.

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