Leptodiaptomus ashlandi
Leptodiaptomus ashlandi is a calanoid copepod zooplankton native to the Laurentian Great Lakes and its basin.
| Leptodiaptomus ashlandi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Female and male L. ashlandi | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Crustacea |
| Class: | Maxillopoda |
| Subclass: | Copepoda |
| Order: | Calanoida |
| Family: | Diaptomididae |
| Genus: | Leptodiaptomus Marsh, 1893 |
| Species: | L. ashlandi Marsh, 1893 |
Distribution
Leptodiaptomus ashlandi is a zooplankton species widely distributed across Canada and the northern half of the United States in large deep lakes. It occurs in all the Great Lakes.[1]
Identification
Adult females of L. ashlandi can be distinguished by their two-segmented urosome and asymmetrical, rounded metasomal wings. Males are characterized by a large lateral spine on leg 5, located in the proximal third of the terminal segment, and by the presence of a slender process on the third segment from the distal end of the right antennule.[2] This species is morphologically similar to other Leptodiaptomids (Leptodiaptomus minutus, L. sicilis,) and Skistodiaptomids (Skistodiaptomus oregonensis).
References
- ↑ Mary D. Balcer, Nancy L. Korda & Stanley I. Dodson (1984). "Life history and ecology of the major crustacean species". Zooplankton of the Great Lakes: a guide to the identification and ecology of the common crustacean species. University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 49–109. ISBN 978-0-299-09820-9.
- ↑ Hudson, Patrick L., and Lynn T. Lesko. 2003. Free-living and Parasitic Copepods of the Laurentian Great Lakes: Keys and Details on Individual Species. Ann Arbor, MI: Great Lakes Science Center Home Page. http://www.glsc.usgs.gov/greatlakescopepods/MainMenu.php?