Welcome to the free-living aquatic world of the Daphnia pulex, a species among water fleas!

 

Summer is right around the corner, and you know what that means.. it's time to kick back, relax, and enjoy the sun... and the LAKE! Well, did you know that when you're enjoying the cool lake all summer, you may actually being accompanied by thousands of little creatures called Daphnia? Depending on where you are, you might even be swimming with the species Daphnia Pulex itself!

 

This is an example of a lake which D. pulex may occupy.

 

WHY the Daphnia pulex out of all other water fleas?

• D. pulex is the most common Daphnia out of all other species.

• In fact, it was the very first crustacean to have its genome sequenced!

• This species is key in many ponds in lakes, providing a very important role in the food web!

 

This webpage was created as a part of a larger project for a biology course at the University of Wisconsin- La Crosse. To visit websites made by other students, click here. 

 

Learn about D. pulex classification.