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Kalyanoid
Where does the Kalyanoid live?
Kalyanoid is a name for some crustaceans
That live in the sea and have many adaptations
They swim with their legs and feed with their mouthparts
They molt their exoskeletons and have segmented hearts
Some kalyanoids are planktonic and drift with the currents
Others are benthic and dwell on the sediments
Some are predators and hunt for their prey
Others are filter feeders and eat what they may
Kalyanoids are diverse and have many forms
They can be small or large, simple or complex
They are part of the marine ecosystem and play important roles
They are fascinating creatures that deserve our respect
What does the Kalyanoid look like?
They are characterized by having a large head, a cylindrical body, and long antennae.
They have two pairs of swimming legs and one pair of grasping legs.
They are mostly transparent or translucent, but some species have pigments or bioluminescence.
Kalyanoids are important components of the marine food web, as they feed on phytoplankton and other small organisms, and are preyed upon by fish, whales, and other predators.
They are also involved in the biological pump, which transports organic carbon from the surface to the deep ocean.
Some kalyanoids can perform daily vertical migrations, moving up to the surface at night and down to the depths during the day, to avoid predation and exploit different food sources.
There are more than 2000 species of kalyanoids, distributed in all oceans and some freshwater habitats.
They exhibit a great diversity of forms and adaptations, such as parasitism, symbiosis, and sexual dimorphism.
Some examples of kalyanoids are:
Calanus finmarchicus: a large and abundant kalyanoid in the North Atlantic, which forms the main food source for many fish and marine mammals.
It can store large amounts of lipids in its body, which help it survive the winter and fuel its reproduction in the spring.Eucalanus bungii: a kalyanoid that lives in the subarctic Pacific, and has a remarkable ability to survive freezing temperatures.
It can produce antifreeze proteins, which prevent ice crystals from forming in its body fluids.Rhincalanus nasutus: a kalyanoid that has a unique feeding strategy.
It has a long and pointed rostrum, which it uses to pierce the cells of large phytoplankton, such as diatoms, and suck out their contents.