What are copepods?
Copepods are crustaceans which are found in freshwater and marine environments. The name copepod refers to “oar foot” because some of the planktonic species have tails that flare out like a paddle, much like my little mascot above. About 12,000 species have been described to date. Copepods have a variety of behaviors and preferred habitats. Some copepods will “hibernate” or encyst, much like brine shrimp (Artemia). Others are parasites, and can travel hundreds of miles by hitching a ride on migrating fish. Some species have a relatively short life cycle (a few weeks), while others can live a full year. Copepods are a very diverse group of organisms, and I have found that the more you try to generalize their behavior or characteristics, the more diversity is discovered.
