Tadpole Shrimps Fairy Shrimps and Clam Shrimps and Water Fleas: Branchiopoda

Most fairy shrimps use their specialized leg bases to filter bacteria and algae from the water and direct it to a groove under their bodies. The groove leads directly to the mouth. Some species eat microscopic animals, such as rotifers, crustacean larvae (LAR-vee) or young, and even other fairy shrimps. Some species are predatory and attack other crustaceans. Tadpole shrimps eat anything, living or dead, including bacteria, algae, microscopic animals, insect larvae, tadpoles, other crustaceans, plant roots and shoots. Clam shrimps are mostly filter feeders, eating whatever flows through their mouths in water, but they can also scrape and tear at their food and will scavenge almost any organism in their environment. Some species also scrape algae from rocks and eat bacteria or prey on microscopic animals.