Videos of Aquatic Invertebrates

Last week I presented several programs on aquatic invertebrates during the Ziibiwing Center's Mother Earth Week Celebration.  Students were able to find and identify nearly 20 different types of aquatic macroinvertebrates using the University of Wisconsin Extension Key to Life in the Pond.

After I was done working with the students I took the buckets of pond water back to my office and used a digital microscope to take photographs and videos of some of the smaller organisms that could be seen in the water samples.  Here are two of the videos.

First up, this video shows a small crustacean known as a daphnia or "water flea".  This water flea is a female - the dark spots near her back are eggs.

The second video shows another type of small crustacean known as a scud or amphipod.  Scuds resemble small shrimp and are also known as "side-swimmers" for their tendency to swim on their sides.