Harpacticoid
2023-07-18 Snargl 00:00
Where does the Harpacticoid live?
The Harpacticoida are a group of small crustaceans that belong to the order of copepods.
They live mainly on the bottom of the seas, in the sand gaps of the beaches, but also in groundwater.
Some species can also be found in freshwater or brackish water.
They feed on single-celled algae, cyanobacteria, flagellates, ciliates, fungi and heterotrophic or chemoautotrophic bacteria.
The Harpacticoida have short first antennae with no more than eight segments, unlike other copepods.
The second antennae are two-branched.
The body shape of these copepods is cylindrical, either worm-like or with a noticeably wide abdomen.
The Harpacticoida comprise 463 genera and about 3,000 species worldwide.
They are the second most important group of meiofauna in marine sediments, after nematodes.
Author:
Douglas.
Snargl Content MakerWhat does the Harpacticoid look like?
A Harpacticoid is a type of copepod, which is a small crustacean.
Harpacticoids have a short pair of first antennae and a biramous pair of second antennae.
They have a worm-like body with five segments in the thorax and four or five segments in the abdomen.
The abdomen is usually wide and not much narrower than the thorax.
Harpacticoids are mostly benthic, meaning they live on surfaces in aquatic environments, such as the ocean floor, lake beds, or seaweed fronds.
Some of them are also planktonic or live in association with other organisms.
Harpacticoids are very diverse and can be found in marine, freshwater, and even semiterrestrial habitats.
Continue browsing posts in category "Animals"
You may find these posts interesting:
The images you see on this page have been generated by AI - they are not real images of Harpacticoid, but they are great nonetheless! :)