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Water flea (D. lumholtzi) (Daphnia lumholtzi)

Water flea (D. lumholtzi) Description: Possibly introduced to the United States in shipments of Nile perch from Lake Victoria in Africa.

Identification: Small crustacean that is 2-3 mm. in length. It has a large helmet and long tailspine (usually longer than its body). Body is arched, extending to a sharp point and has 10 prominent spines on the margin of the abdominal shield.

Habitat: Native to tropical and subtropical lakes in east Africa, east Australia, and India. Occurs in lakes and water courses.

Reproduction: Eggs can remain dormant for long periods of time. They are covered by long spines and hairs that act as hooks. Ephippia are protective shells that cover the eggs until favorable conditions occur.

Impact and Damage: Competition between D. lumholtzi and native Daphnia species can occur. They are adapted to higher temperatures, more disturbed areas and have a long helmet and tail spine to avoid predation.

Monitoring and rapid response: Clean, drain, dry.

Credits: The information provided in this factsheet was gathered from the Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG).

Individual species images that appear with a number in a black box are courtesy of the Bugwood.org network (http://www.invasive.org). Individual photo author credits may not be included due to the small display size of the images and subsequent difficulty of reading the provided text. All other images appear courtesy of Google (http://images.google.com).


Common Name:

Water flea (D. lumholtzi)

Scientific Name:

Daphnia lumholtzi

Family:

Daphniidae
(Water flea)

Habit:

Crustaceans