What do water fleas feed on?
Water fleas are filter-feeding crustaceans. (They are called water fleas because of their small size, but they are not fleas at all.) Their shell-like body protects their swimming and feeding appendages. They feed by sieving the water to extract phytoplankton or detritus. A few species of water fleas are predacious but most are herbivores or detritivores, feeding on phytoplankton, attached vegetation or decaying organic material. Small particles in the water are filtered out by fine setae on the thoracic legs and moved along a groove at the base of legs to the mouth. Although there is some evidence that certain types of food, such as particular types of algae, Protozoa, or bacteria may be selected by some species, it is generally believed that all organic particles of suitable size are ingested without any selective mechanism. When undesirable material or large tangled masses are introduced between the mandibles, they are removed by spines on the first legs and then kicked out of the c
Water fleas are filter-feeding crustaceans. (They are called water fleas because of their small size, but they are not fleas at all.) Their shell-like body protects their swimming and feeding appendages. They feed by sieving the water to extract phytoplankton or detritus. A few species of water fleas are predacious but most are herbivores or detritivores, feeding on phytoplankton, attached vegetation or decaying organic material. Small particles in the water are filtered out by fine setae on the thoracic legs and moved along a groove at the base of legs to the mouth. Although there is some evidence that certain types of food, such as particular types of algae, Protozoa, or bacteria may be selected by some species, it is generally believed that all organic particles of suitable size are ingested without any selective mechanism.
