The Tadpole Shrimps (Crustacea: Notostraca) of Southern Africa

Compiled by N. Rayner

Department of Zoology, University of Durban-Westville, Durban, South Africa

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INTRODUCTION

Tadpole shrimps are an ancient group of brachiopod crustaceans that are represented in the Southern African Triassic fossil record by Lepidurus strombergensis Haughton, 1924, and by two extant species. The generic name Apus was changed to Triops in 1958 to correct a homonymy with an avian taxon. Tadpole shrimps inhabit temporary brackish and freshwater pools in areas with rainfalls below 500mm. They are benthic scavengers. Development is extremely rapid, and all stages are tollerant to high temperatures. Their taxonomic relationships need study. More information about their biology can be found in Rayner (1999).

Species with green markers are found in South Africa; those with yellow markers are not. Synonyms are flagged with red markers.

Family: TRIOPSIDAE

1. Genus: Triops
   1. T. cancriformis (Bosc, 1801)

      Apus cancriformis Bosc, 1801

      = Apus ovamboensis Barnard 1924
      Namibia, temporary pools

      
      
   2. T. granarius (Lucas, 1864)

      Apus granarius Lucas 1864

      = Apus numidicus Grube 1865

      = Apus namaquensis Richters 1886

      = Apus sudanicus Brauer 1877
      Free State, Northwest Province, Northern Cape, to Namibia. Temporary pools

      
      

REFERENCES

Rayner, N. 1999.

Notostraca. Pp. 7-13. In: Day, J.A., Stewart, B.A., de Moor, I.J. & Louw, A.E. (eds.) Freshwater Inverebrates of Southern Africa. Crustacea I: Notostraca, Anostraca, Conchostraca and Cladocera Water Research Commission Report TT 121/00, Pretoria.