Copepods and Ostracods
 
 

Introduced Species

For OTHER Crustaceans:

  • Barnacles
  • Copepods
  • Ostracods
  • Mysids
  • Isopods
  • Amphipods
  • Krill
  • Southern Rock Lobster 
  • Hermit Crab 
  • Crabs
    •

     
  • Kingdom Animalia
  • Phylum Arthropoda
  • Subphylum Crustacea
  • Class Copepoda (copepods)  OR Class Ostracoda (ostracods)
    •


    COPEPODS

    Copepods
    (Edgar, 1997)
    		 Copepods are small crustaceans (less than 1 mm long) that have three distinct body parts: the head, thorax and abdomen. The head has a single central eye and two antennae, whilst the thorax has six segments (each with two pairs of legs). The abdomen doesn't have any legs or other appendages . To find copepods, look at a plankton sample. You are almost guaranteed to find some! They filter feed on smaller plankton.

    OSTRACODS

    Ostracod
    (Edgar, 1997)
    		 These are also small crustaceans (1 mm long). Most live on the sea bed, although there are many planktonic species (floating in the water column). The shell or carapace is in two parts (bivalved) and is extremely resistant to disintegration. Carapaces of ostracods have been found in fossils dating back more than 500 million years.