Great Lakes Water Life Photo Gallery

Zooplankton - Waterfleas

Cladoceran Field Guide

Carapace

Carapace Characteristics

See Cladocera Anatomy section for description of morphological terms.

The carapace (shell) form of a cladoceran is one of the basic characteristics used to separate waterflea taxa. Specific features of the carapace are used for more refined taxonomic identification and unique carapace features sometimes can be used to quickly identify certain species.

Reduced Carapace
(carapace covers only the brood patch)
4 Great Lakes species

Bythotrepes with Carapace covering only the brood patch

Complete Carapace
(carapace covers entire organism)
Most Great Lakes species

SEM of Chydorus - showing complete carapace

Light microscopy of Chydorus showing complete carapace

Gelatinous Sheath
Holopedium gibberum
(sheath sometimes lost in preserved specimens)

Drawing of Holopedium showing the sheath

Setae (hairs) on carapace
>40 Great Lakes species

Patterns of Setae

Level 2 Carapace Characteristics

Spherical	Ellipsoid
Narrow Posterior	Dorsal Crest
Antero-Ventral Projection	Sculpting, striations, or other ornamentation

Photo Courtesy of:
- GLERL
Cladocera - A Short Course
BioImages: The Virtual Field-Guide (UK). Cladocera.
A Key to Cladocerans (Crustacea) of British Columbia
Southwest Missouri State University Zooplankton Project
KLS

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