Carol Dolney, age 12, of Novelty, Ohio, for her question:

What exactly is a fairy shrimp?

All the various shrimps are as dainty as fairy creatures, dressed in crisp jackets tinted with pinks or reds, browns or beige. They dart through the water like ballet dancers, looking; very expert because they swim backwards. The fairy shrimp deserves this name because he is the prettiest of them all. His delicate coat is tinted with flowery colors and darting through the water he looks like a lively fragment from a rainbow.     

Many shrimp species belong to the sea. Others live in fresh water creeks and streams. Some manage to live in the arid deserts of our southwestern states and Central America. They survive through many years of drought as eggs, sealed in the baked dirt. When a sudden downpour ends the desert drought, the ground is soaked and the hollows filled with water. Then the shrimp hatch and enjoy a merry life long enough to leave eggs to last through the next dry spell. The fairy shrimp are fresh water species and some live in the desert.