E-Fauna BC: Electronic Atlas of the Wildlife of British Columbia

Branchinecta gigas Lynch, 1937
Giant Fairy Shrimp
Family: Branchinectidae

Introduction to the Crabs, Shrimps and Crayfish of BC
Photo of species

© Ian Gardiner  Email the photographer   (Photo ID #33123)
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Distribution of Branchinecta gigas in British Columbia
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Introduction


Branchinecta gigas is found in western Canada and western USA (Belk & Brtek, 1995). Its distribution in British Columbia is not well documented, though Broch (1988) has reported it from the vicinity of 70 Mile House.

This predatory species is found in shallow, astatic lakes or ponds in semiarid regions exhibiting extreme turbidity that allows little or no phytoplankton production, and that are generally described as ‘alkaline’ (Daborn, 1975). The habitat must be large enough to accommodate sufficient numbers of its primary prey species B. mackini (Ericksen & Belk, 1999) - the predator to prey ratio being about 1:40,000 (Brown & Carpelan, 1971).

Note Author: Ian Gardiner

Status Information

Origin StatusProvincial StatusBC List
(Red Blue List)		COSEWIC
UnlistedUnlistedUnlistedUnlisted
BC Ministry of Environment: BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer--the authoritative source for conservation information in British Columbia.

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Species References

Belk, D. & J. Brtek 1995. Checklist of the Anostraca. Hydrobiologia 298: 315-353.

Broch, E.S. 1988. Osmoregulatory patterns of adaptation to inland astatic waters by two species of fairy shrimps, Branchinecta gigas Lynch and Branchinecta mackini Dexter. Journal of Crustacean Biology 8(3): 383-391.

Brown, L.R. & L.H. Carpelan 1971. Egg hatching and life history of a fairy shrimp Branchinecta mackini Dexter (Crustacea: Anostraca) in a Mohave Desert playa (Rabbit Dry Lake). Ecology 52: 41-54.

Daborn, G.R. 1975. Life history and energy relations of the giant fairy shrimp Branchinecta gigas Lynch 1937 (Crustacea: Anostraca). Ecology 56: 1025-1039.

Eriksen, C. & D. Belk 1999. Fairy Shrimps of California’s Puddles, Pools, and Playas. Mad River Press, Eureka, California: xvi + 196pp.

General References

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Recommended citation: Author, Date. Page title. In Klinkenberg, Brian. (Editor) 2021. E-Fauna BC: Electronic Atlas of the Fauna of British Columbia [efauna.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. [Accessed: 2025-05-13 6:55:34 PM]
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