Triops and fairy shrimp are extremophiles capable of surviving years-long droughts. They endure in the sediment as eggs that remain dormant until floods bring about the right conditions for them to do some topside living.
Relatives of the oldest living creature, Triops cancriformis, are among the fold, which is why Triops have the nickname “dinosaur shrimp”. These “three-eyed” miniature beasties have two main eyes and a pit organ, a “third eye” that’s common among insects, and comes in handy for prey animals as it enables them to detect changes in light –
