Triops are crustaceans living fossils: they lived in the Triassic and Jurassic period, and have not changed much since then!
There about ten different kinds: Triops Newberyi, Triops Australiensis, Triops Cancriformis, and Triops Longicaudatus, and others.
They have three eyes: two of them see, the other tells the crustacean if it is day or night. This is similar to the Horseshoe crab (which is an arthropod living fossil from the late Ordovician period and has NINE eyes in total).
We got triops’ eggs and sand to hatch. 24 hours after we put them in the water, three eggs hatched! The triops were VERY SMALL, less than 1 millimeter long. We watched them under the microscope:
They grew so fast! This one is about 10 days old. It is a very fast swimmer, too.
I think the species we got is Triops Australiensis. Because they have a light green shell and a carapace with a round and flat middle part.
They need limestone in the water to build their exoskeleton (carapace).
They are always digging! They have a lot of energy.
Triops live in 100 percent natural spring water, and eat other crustaceans, carrots, boiled cauliflower, fish, and special dry food. They are always hungry! They dig in the sand to find food.
When they grew about 1 inch long, we had to transfer them to a big aquarium.
They loved exploring their new home! They especially liked the limestone castle and the bubbler (look, triops is covered in air bubbles!).
Triops are very curious and have a lot of energy!
After about 6 weeks, the female triops laid eggs and died. We left the eggs in the water to see what will happen. We observed them for several days, and could not see anything. But then we noticed the tiny little creatures that HATCHED!
See my next post about the little ones!!
Great photos and videos! It turns out that triops are very ancient.
Loved the pictures and videos! The first picture is fit for a screensaver! Great job on the research, I learn a lot in just one visit!
Great job, Jonathan!