Copepods rule the earth

Gaussia This is Gaussia, a calanoid copepod, measuring about 6 mm from head to telson, making it a giant among Hawaiian copepods. Copepods are the most abundant and diverse group in the planktonic community. They are crustaceans, related to crabs and lobsters. They are members of the phylum Arthropoda, as are other crustaceans, insects, and spiders. There are planktonic, benthic, and parasitic copepods, appearing in freshwater and salt water. Their distribution around the world and success in so many niches earns them the title of "the insects of the sea". Click on Pleuromamma for more information on copepods, my favorite subject!

 

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Gaussia		Pleuromamma		Sensory setae