Alona (box water flea)
Alona spp. · Aquatic life
Under the microscope · Photo: Michael Brondino / CC BY-SA
Also called Alona, Chydorid
How to identify Alona (box water flea)
- Tiny water flea about 0.3 to 0.6 mm
- Oval to box shaped shell, often yellowish with faint lines
- Beak shaped head and short antennae
- Crawls among plants and bottom debris
Similar species
Chydorus is rounder; Bosmina has long trunk like antennae and lives in open water.
Profile
| Season | Spring through fall. |
|---|---|
| Depth | Among plants and on the bottom |
| How it spreads or reproduces | Females clone themselves through summer; resting eggs in a dark saddle (ephippium) survive drying and freezing and ride on birds, boots and boats |
| Habitat | Weedy shallows and bottoms of ponds, lakes and marshes. |
Why it matters in a lake
A common weed bed grazer on algae and detritus. Its shells are well preserved in lake mud and are used to study a lake's history.
Where it is found
- Idaho: Common
- Oregon: Common
- Wyoming: Common
Classification
| Kingdom | Animalia |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Arthropoda |
| Class | Branchiopoda |
| Order | Anomopoda |
| Family | Chydoridae |
| Scientific name | Alona spp. |
Daphnia (water flea)
Bosmina (snout water flea)
Ceriodaphnia (small water flea)
Chydorus (round water flea)
Simocephalus (hanging water flea)
Diaphanosoma (clear water flea)
Moina (lagoon water flea)
Scapholeberis (surface water flea)
Sida (sticky water flea)
Leptodora (giant water flea)Need a hand?
Found it in your lake?
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Idaho / Wyoming (208) 501-4531Oregon (541) 280-0596