Spiny Water Flea
Bythotrephes longimanus
This record describes Bythotrephes longimanus (species). Recorded family: Cercopagididae. Recorded order: Diplostraca.
Identification and Appearance
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Branchiopoda
- Order
- Diplostraca
- Suborder
- Cladocera
- Family
- Cercopagididae
- Genus
- Bythotrephes
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Accidentally introduced to North America (native to Northern Europe); established in all of the Great Lakes by 1987.
About Diplostraca: the wider group
Order-level background for Diplostraca, the group containing Bythotrephes longimanus. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Diplostraca includes ~3,500 described species of water fleas (Daphnia) and clam shrimp. Daphnia are among the most studied organisms in ecology and toxicology - they reproduce by parthenogenesis, producing only females under good conditions.
Ecological role of the group
Daphnia are keystone species in freshwater food webs - they filter algae from water and are primary prey for fish. A single Daphnia can filter up to 4 mL of water per hour, and their populations can dramatically improve water clarity in lakes.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Daphnia are the global standard test organism for aquatic toxicology (EPA, OECD). They are essential in aquaculture as live food for fish fry. The Daphnia genome was the first crustacean genome to be sequenced (2011).
Recorded sources for this group: EPA ecotoxicology, freshwater ecology, genomics. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Spiny Water Flea (4)
Photo credits: Contributed by v belov; Additional contributions by edanko