aquatic invert ID please

iturnrocks

Arachnoknight
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Feb 14, 2006
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I recently added some wild caught duckweed to my tank and have noticed a couple of these shrimp looking critters. My first reaction is they must be another insect larva, but when I look at them closely they really resemble a little shrimp, but im not the expert so Ill let you decide.

Im pretty embarassed about the quality of these pics- this critter is a fast mover and was very hard to photograph under my crappy usb microscope. According to my built in measurement on the microscope, he is about 4-5 mm long. So I took lots of pics, hopefully a comparison of multiple pics will yield a response. Also these guys swim about 2 or 3 times faster than seed shrimp.

First pic I did a 200x zoom on the eye. Just cuz I thot it looked cool.



Some of these pics I auto adjusted contrast and some I left original

Here is a head shot one with the contrast one without. These photos are at 60x































This last pic is at 10x and may show the general body shape from a top view

 

Galapoheros

ArachnoGod
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You're right, that is the adult form. I can't think of the name of the species at the moment. ...just can't think of it.
 

iturnrocks

Arachnoknight
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Galapoheros said:
I can't think of the name of the species at the moment.
How about a generalization. Is it an aquatic insect or a crustacean?
 

iturnrocks

Arachnoknight
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I think i may have figured it out with a GIS, but correct me if Im wrong

Scud, Gammarus
 

Galapoheros

ArachnoGod
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Woooo, ..man, you got me! I'm not an expert either. I was trying to think of the common name...still don't remember. When it comes to plants and bugs, I'm the biggest generalist I know. I know a bit about most of this stuff but a master at none of it. It's all a fascination to me. I just throw in a little of what I think I know sometimes. I remember bringing some of these home when I was about 7 or 8. My dad thought they were mosquito larvae and made me throw them out:) . Dang! I need to try to go to sleep!
 

jarvisnake

Arachnopeon
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Aug 25, 2005
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iturnrocks said:
I think i may have figured it out with a GIS, but correct me if Im wrong

Scud, Gammarus
I second that. More generally, it is an amphipod. Gammarusis likely the Genus, but there are probably others it could be. Others species live in saltwater, just ask anyone who has live rock in their tank, they will have these living in the filter pads.
 

BurrowDweller

Arachnoknight
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Oct 21, 2005
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Looks like an amphipod to me also. They are quite common in many lakes and streams, and has been stated in marine systems also. I work at a large fish shop that sells a ton of marine fish. All of our tanks are full of those little guys.
 

iturnrocks

Arachnoknight
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Feb 14, 2006
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I did a GIS for Hyalella azteca and found this photo. I believe this is probably what it is. The page this is on is in a foreign language, so I have no idea what they were saying about it. Wirbellose und Lebendfutter

 
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