![]() Molecular clock estimates suggest that Triops split from Lepidurus during the Triassic or Jurassic, between 152.3–233.5 million years ago. However, careful analysis of these fossils cannot definitively assign these specimens to Triops. Triops are sometimes called " living fossils", since fossils that have been attributed to this genus have been found in rocks hundreds of millions of years old. ![]() Only 24 hours after hatching they already resemble miniature versions of the adult form. The genus Triops can be distinguished from the only other living genus of Notostraca, Lepidurus, by the form of the telson (the end of its 'tail'), which bears only a pair of long, thin caudal extensions in Triops, while Lepidurus also bears a central platelike process. In nature, they often inhabit temporary pools. Most adult-stage Triops have a life expectancy of up to 90 days and can tolerate a pH range of 6 to 10. The animals hatch upon contact with fresh water. The long-lasting resting eggs of several species of Triops are commonly sold in kits as pets. ![]() Triops is a genus of small crustaceans in the order Notostraca (tadpole shrimp). ![]()
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