Branchinella

Branchinella is a genus of crustaceans in the family Thamnocephalidae. This fairy shrimp genus is found across many parts of the world, but especially western Australia and southern Africa.

Several species have small ranges and are threatened by habitat destruction. For example, B. latzi is only known from south Northern Territory and southwest Queensland, but it has been extirpated from the Uluru region due to pollution from urine and faeces of tourists.

The species Branchinella kugenumaensis are known as "Honen shrimp" (ホウネンエビ) in Japan, and are commonly found in rice fields during the early summer.