Fairy shrimp (Hounen ebi) - Fairy shrimp (English spelling)

Japanese: ホウネンエビ(豊年蝦) - ホウネンエビ（英語表記）fairy‐shrimp

A small crustacean about 2 cm long that appears in shallow freshwater such as rice paddies in western Japan in early summer when the water temperature is high (illustration). Subclass: Branchiopoda, family: Coenobitidae. Both males and females are colorless and semi-transparent, but often have a beautiful green color. It is said that a year when many Coenobita appear in rice paddies will bring about a good year, so it is also called a "fish of good luck" or "bug of good luck." It swims with its back facing down. It is found in Japan from the Kanto region westward, Korea, and northeastern and central China. The Anostraca, which includes this species and Artemia, is one of the most primitive extant crustaceans with a morphology similar to that of the Capra shrimp, and there are about 180 species known from five families.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

初夏のころ，西日本の水田など，水温の高くなる浅い淡水に現れる体長2cmくらいの小型の甲殻類（イラスト）。鰓脚（さいきやく）亜綱ホウネンエビ科。雌雄とも無色半透明であるが，しばしば美しい緑色を帯びる。ホウネンエビが水田にたくさん発生した年は豊年になるという言い伝えから，豊年魚あるいは豊年虫などとも呼ばれた。背側を下にして泳ぐ。日本の関東以西および韓国，中国の東北，中部に分布している。本種およびアルテミアなどの属する無甲類は，カシラエビ類に似た形態を有するもっとも原始的な現生甲殻類の一員で，5科約180種が知られる。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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