Asplanchna (sac rotifer)
Asplanchna spp. · Aquatic life
Under the microscope · Photo: Igor Shelpiakov / CC BY
Also called Asplanchna brightwellii, Asplanchna priodonta, Predatory rotifer
How to identify Asplanchna (sac rotifer)
- Large, clear, sac or balloon shaped rotifer up to about 1 mm
- No foot and no stiff shell
- Often has other rotifers or algae visible inside its stomach
- Females give birth to live young
Similar species
Synchaeta is also soft bodied but is cone shaped with ear like lobes; most other rotifers are much smaller with a stiff shell.
Profile
| Season | Spring and fall pulses, sometimes summer. |
|---|---|
| Depth | Open water |
| How it spreads or reproduces | Females clone themselves through the season; tough resting eggs survive drying and travel on birds, wind and equipment |
| Habitat | Open water of ponds, lakes and reservoirs. |
Why it matters in a lake
A predator that eats other rotifers and small algae. Large numbers can quickly knock down other rotifers.
Where it is found
- Idaho: Common
- Oregon: Common
- Wyoming: Common
Classification
| Kingdom | Animalia |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Rotifera |
| Class | Eurotatoria |
| Order | Ploima |
| Family | Asplanchnidae |
| Scientific name | Asplanchna spp. |
Keratella (spined rotifer)
Polyarthra (feather rotifer)
Brachionus (rotifer)
Kellicottia (long spine rotifer)
Filinia (bristle rotifer)
Synchaeta (cold water rotifer)
Trichocerca (rat tail rotifer)
Conochilus (colonial rotifer)
Lecane (flat rotifer)
Euchlanis (glass rotifer)Need a hand?
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Idaho / Wyoming (208) 501-4531Oregon (541) 280-0596