''Leptestheria compleximanus'' is a species of North American clam shrimp known by the common name playa clam shrimp or spineynose clam shrimp.

Range

''Leptestheria compleximanus'' is found from the Great Plains region of the United States to the deserts of northern Mexico.

Habitat

Playa clam shrimp live in temporary wetlands.

Ecology

Ephemeral wetland specialists, ''Leptestheria compleximanus'' depend on wet-dry cycles. Their life cycle has evolved to depend on drying to the point that all eggs they lay are

desiccation Desiccation () is the state of extreme dryness, or the process of extreme drying. A desiccant is a hygroscopic (attracts and holds water) substance that induces or sustains such a state in its local vicinity in a moderately sealed container. ...

-resistant and will not hatch during the same wet cycle during which adults are alive. These eggs will need to experience dry conditions followed by another inundation cycle to break

diapause In animal dormancy, diapause is the delay in development in response to regular and recurring periods of adverse environmental conditions.Tauber, M.J., Tauber, C.A., Masaki, S. (1986) ''Seasonal Adaptations of Insects''. Oxford University Press It ...

and hatch. While alive, playa clam shrimp feed on suspended particles through

filter feeding Filter feeders are a sub-group of suspension feeding animals that feed by straining suspended matter and food particles from water, typically by passing the water over a specialized filtering structure. Some animals that use this method of feedin ...

and searching through soft mud for food particles.

References

Spinicaudata {{Branchiopoda-stub