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The Biology Classics: About Daphnia - The Water Flea |
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Written By Eric Russell
| One of the most common crustaceans to be found in lakes, ponds and quiet streams is the 'water flea', Daphnia. These tiny animals are usually less than 3mm in size, so you could put dozens of them on a single fingernail. They're not really fleas – in fact they're not insects at all, but rather crustaceans, more closely related to crabs and shrimp. Water fleas are extremely important in the food chains of ponds and lakes - they harvest the tiny algae cells that convert sun energy into food, and then they pass this energy along to other animals such as fish or other predators. If you like trout, you really owe a debt of grattitude to Daphnia. |
 Daphnia - The Water Flea |
- Second antenna, used for swimming and sensing the environment
- eye controlled by muscles with nerve connections to the brain
- legs used for collecting food and stabilizing the animal as it slowly sinks
- An intestine where ground up food particles are digested
- A brood pouch for incubating young that hatch from large yolk filled eggs
- A protective outer shell
- A heart that pushes clear circulatory fluid around the body
- Undigested material is eliminated out the anus.
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