Texan clam shrimp

Eulimnadia texana

FAMILY

Limnadiidae

TAXONOMY

Eulimnadia texana Packard, 1871, Texas, United States.

OTHER COMMON NAMES

None known.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Present a pronounced sexual dimorphism; most notable characteristic is the modification of male's first pair of appendages into claw-like claspers that are used to hold onto the margins of a hermaphrodite's carapace during mating.

DISTRIBUTION

Restricted to southern United States, west of the Mississippi River and north of Mexico.

HABITAT

All types of ephemeral freshwater bodies.

BEHAVIOR

Common to all clam shrimps.

FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET

Omnivorous; able to filter feed as well as forage along pond bottoms.

REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY

Populations are usually composed mainly of hermaphrodites with the percentage of males ranging from 0–40% in natural populations. Hermaphrodites are able to produce drought-resistant cysts that are carried in a brood chamber inside the carapace. These eggs are usually released into a burrow dug by the hermaphrodites. Develops extremely fast, with an individual reaching reproductive size in 4–6 days under natural conditions.

CONSERVATION STATUS

Not listed by the IUCN.

SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS

None known.