Water Flea, tiny crustacean that swims with jerky movements. The "fleas," found in almost any drop of pond water, use powerful strokes of their antennae for propulsion. These branchiopods belong to the suborder Cladocera, a cosmopolitan, freshwater group of about 400 species. The water flea feeds on phytoplankton and detritus, filtered through bristles on its appendages. Sexes are separate; the female broods eggs in a dorsal chamber. Population sizes are highly seasonal and adverse times are passed in dormant stages. Numerous aspects of cladoceran biology are studied in Canada: there is high commercial potential in their cultivation for fish food.
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- MLA 8TH EDITION
- Tunnicliffe, V.. "Water Flea". The Canadian Encyclopedia, 21 May 2014, Historica Canada. www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/water-flea. Accessed 05 November 2024.
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- APA 6TH EDITION
- Tunnicliffe, V. (2014). Water Flea. In The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/water-flea
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- CHICAGO 17TH EDITION
- Tunnicliffe, V.. "Water Flea." The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. Article published February 07, 2006; Last Edited May 21, 2014.
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- TURABIAN 8TH EDITION
- The Canadian Encyclopedia, s.v. "Water Flea," by V. Tunnicliffe, Accessed November 05, 2024, https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/water-flea
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Water Flea
Article by V. Tunnicliffe
Published Online February 7, 2006
Last Edited May 21, 2014