Cladocera facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cladocera |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Daphnia pulex | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Subphylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Subclass: | |
| Order: |
Cladocera
Latreille, 1829
|
| Suborders | |
|
|
Cladocera are tiny creatures that live in water. They are a type of crustacean, like crabs or shrimp. People often call them water fleas because they swim with quick, jerky movements. There are over 620 known types of water fleas. Many more are still waiting to be discovered!
Contents
About Water Fleas
Water fleas are found almost everywhere there is fresh water. This includes ponds, lakes, and rivers. They are very rare in the oceans. Most water fleas are tiny, usually between 0.2 and 6.0 millimeters long. That's smaller than a grain of rice!
How Do They Look?
Water fleas have a unique shape. Their head usually points downwards. A shell-like covering, called a carapace, covers their body. This carapace protects their chest and belly. They have one main eye in the middle of their head. This eye helps them see their surroundings.
How Do They Move?
Water fleas get their nickname from how they swim. They move with sudden, quick jumps. These movements look a lot like how a flea jumps. They use their antennae to push themselves through the water.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Most water flea species reproduce in a special way called cyclical parthenogenesis. This means they mostly reproduce without a partner. A female water flea can lay eggs that hatch into more females. This is called asexual reproduction.
Sometimes, when conditions are tough, they switch to sexual reproduction. This means males and females mate. The eggs produced from sexual reproduction are very strong. They are called resting eggs. These eggs can survive harsh conditions, like when water dries up or gets very cold. They can also be carried by wind or animals to new places. This helps water fleas spread to many different habitats.
Images for kids
-
Leptodora kindtii is an unusually large water flea, growing up to 18 mm long.
-
A water flea giving birth (100x magnification)
-
Evadne spinifera, one of very few water flea species found in the ocean
-
Daphnia magna
See also
In Spanish: Diplostráceos para niños
