Artemia populations are found in about 500 natural salt lakes and man-made salterns scattered throughout the tropical, subtropical and temperate climatic zones, along coastlines as well as inland.

Among the live diets used in the larviculture of fish and shellfish, nauplii of the brine shrimp Artemia constitute the most widely used food item. Annually, over 2000 metric tons of dry Artemia cysts are marketed worldwide for on-site hatching into 0.4 mm nauplii.

Van Stappen, G. Lavens. Introduction, biology and ecology of Artemia. In: P., Sorgeloos, P. (edts). Manual on the Production and Use of Live Food for Aquaculture. FAO FISHERIES TECHNICAL PAPER. FAO, Rome, 1996