Northern Lake Crangonyctid
Crangonyx gracilis
This record describes Crangonyx gracilis (species). Recorded family: Crangonyctidae. Recorded order: Amphipoda.
Identification and Appearance
Crangonyx gracilis, the northern lake crangonyctid, is a species of amphipod in the family Crangonyctidae. It is found in North America.
Wikipedia reference for Crangonyx gracilis: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crangonyx_gracilis.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Malacostraca
- Order
- Amphipoda (Amphipods)
- Suborder
- Senticaudata
- Family
- Crangonyctidae
- Genus
- Crangonyx
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
Fresh water. Abundant in mud and weeds.
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Crangonyx gracilis S.I. Smith, 1871
About Amphipods: the wider group
Order-level background for Amphipoda, the group containing Crangonyx gracilis. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Amphipoda includes ~10,000 described species of scuds, sand hoppers, and whale lice. While mostly aquatic, some species like sand hoppers (Talitrus saltator) are fully terrestrial, living on beaches above the tide line.
Ecological role of the group
Amphipods are critical detritivores in aquatic ecosystems, shredding leaf litter and recycling nutrients. Deep-sea amphipods have been found at the bottom of the Mariana Trench (10,994m), making them among the deepest-living animals on Earth.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Amphipods are standard test organisms in aquatic toxicology - Hyalella azteca is the EPA's primary freshwater sediment toxicity test species. They are also important food for fish in both freshwater and marine ecosystems.
Recorded sources for this group: EPA ecotoxicology, deep-sea biology, marine research. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Northern Lake Crangonyctid (3)
Photo credits: Contributed by Aaron Hunt