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Chydorus sphaericus
Phylum Arthropoda
Subphylum Crustacea
Class Branchiopoda
Suborder Cladocera
Family Chydoridae
Distinguishing Characteristics
  • Compound eye and ocellus
  • Posterior margin of valves less than maximum height
  • Spherical body
  • Pre-anal angle prominent
Ecology
  • Littoral/benthic habitat; often become pelagic in eutrophic systems
  • Will "perch" on filamentous phytoplankton.
Additional Notes
  • Widely distributed
Additional Pictures
     
Quicktime Movies
  • Chydorus1.mov - swimming pattern of Chydorus (1.04 MB)
  • Chydorus2.mov - Chydorus feeding. Note thoracic appendage movements and extension of the postabdomen (1.22 MB)