Branchinella is a genus of crustaceans in the family Thamnocephalidae.

This fairy shrimp genus is found across many parts of the world, but especially western Australia and southern Africa.

[2] Several species have small ranges and are threatened by habitat destruction.

For example, B. latzi is only known from south Northern Territory and southwest Queensland,[3] but it has been extirpated from the Uluru region due to pollution from urine and faeces of tourists.

[4] The species Branchinella kugenumaensis are known as "Honen shrimp" (ホウネンエビ) in Japan, and are commonly found in rice fields during the early summer.