Cladocera facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cladocera |
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| Daphnia pulex | |
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Cladocera
Latreille, 1829
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Cladocera is an order of small crustaceans commonly called water fleas. Around 620 species have been recognised so far, with many more undescribed.
They are everywhere in inland aquatic habitats, but rare in the oceans. Most are 0.2–6.0 mm (0.01–0.24 in) long, with a down-turned head, and a carapace covering the thorax and abdomen. There is a single median compound eye. They swim with jerking flea-like movements.
Most species show cyclical parthenogenesis, where asexual reproduction is occasionally supplemented by sexual reproduction. The sexual reproduction produces resting eggs that allow the species to survive harsh conditions and disperse to distant habitats.
Images for kids
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Leptodora kindtii is an unusually large diplostracan, at up to 18 mm long.
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A cladocera giving birth (100x magnification)
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Evadne spinifera, one of very few marine diplostracan species
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Daphnia magna
See also
In Spanish: Cladocera para niños
