How are branchiopods used as food for fish?

Branchiopods serve as a vital food source for fish in both natural ecosystems and commercial settings. In freshwater environments, groups such as ctenopods and anomopods are significant prey for plankton-eating fish. Fish often select larger individuals, such as certain species of Daphnia, which has led some branchiopods to evolve seasonal changes in body shape to reduce their visibility to predators.12

In commercial aquaculture and home aquariums, the brine shrimp (Artemia) is particularly important. Their immature forms, often hatched from dried eggs, are widely utilized as a nutritious food source for the young of various commercial marine fishes and other small aquarium animals. These crustaceans are effective at filtering algae and bacteria from the water, which allows them to convert these small particles into a form that is easily consumed by fish.132