Copepod nauplii
Copepoda (larval stage) · Aquatic life
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Also called Immature copepods, Nauplii, Nauplius, Copepod larvae
How to identify Copepod nauplii
- Tiny, oval or pear shaped larvae about 0.1 to 0.5 mm
- Three pairs of legs and a single red or dark eyespot
- Move in short, jerky darts
- Labs count them as a separate category because they can't be named to genus easily
Similar species
Ostracods are also small and roundish but have a hinged two part shell; rotifers have a ring of cilia instead of legs.
Profile
| Season | Present all year; big pulses in spring and early summer after adults lay eggs. |
|---|---|
| Depth | Open water |
| How it spreads or reproduces | Hatch from eggs carried by adult females; grow through six larval stages before becoming juvenile copepods |
| Habitat | Open water of all ponds, lakes and reservoirs where adult copepods live. |
Why it matters in a lake
The first food for many newly hatched fish, which are too small to eat adult zooplankton. High nauplii counts show an active, breeding copepod population.
Where it is found
- Idaho: Common
- Oregon: Common
- Wyoming: Common
Classification
| Kingdom | Animalia |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Arthropoda |
| Class | Copepoda |
| Scientific name | Copepoda (larval stage) |
More copepod
Acanthocyclops (cyclopoid copepod)
Diacyclops (cyclopoid copepod)
Leptodiaptomus (calanoid copepod)
Mesocyclops (cyclopoid copepod)
Eucyclops (weed bed copepod)
Macrocyclops (large cyclopoid copepod)
Cyclops (cyclopoid copepod)Skistodiaptomus (calanoid copepod)
Hesperodiaptomus (mountain lake copepod)Epischura (large calanoid copepod)Need a hand?
Found it in your lake?
Send us a photo and we will identify it and tell you what it means for your lake.
Idaho / Wyoming (208) 501-4531Oregon (541) 280-0596