According to the Global Times on July 21, the above creature is shaped like a shrimp. Experts confirm that this creature belongs to a species that appeared more than 200 million years ago, during the same period as the dinosaurs.

Recently, a man surnamed Tong in Lien Vangang city accidentally discovered this strange creature while taking photos. He told local media: “I really like taking photos and while I was taking photos, I happened to see this animal swimming in the pond.”

This creature is about 2cm long, has an oval body, a long forked tail and 3 eyes, including 2 black eyes on both sides and 1 white light-sensitive eye in the middle.

After returning home, Mr. Tong looked up information and found that this creature looked very similar to a long-tailed tadpole shrimp ( Triops longicaudatus) .

A biology professor at  Jiangsu Ocean University confirmed to  Jimu News that the creature is an aquatic crustacean called a “larva” (as it is translated from Chinese), commonly called “long-tailed tadpole shrimp” or “3-eyed dinosaur shrimp”, has a history of more than 200 million years and is contemporaneous with dinosaurs.

Experts say the species is found in northern, northeastern, eastern and southern China. They become more common as natural habitats improve.

Experts explain that the long-tailed tadpole shrimp’s lifespan is about 90 days, and it requires a certain water quality and suitable temperature to survive. This species feeds mainly on small aquatic organisms.

Experts also note that the eggs of long-tailed tadpole shrimp have strong vitality and can survive in a state of hibernation for more than 20 years. In case the environment deteriorates, the eggs of this species can lie dormant in the soil until the environment improves.