1. Diversity of the Heterotrophic Plankton Community
ZOOPLANKTON
Diversity of the Heterotrophic Plankton Community

2. Major Groups of Zooplankton
Ciliates
Rhizopods
Rotifers
Cladocerans
Copepods

3. Ciliate Zooplankton Animal-like unicellular heterotrophs.
All have two different types of nuclei.
They move and feed by cilia.

4. Some common ciliates in the microzooplankton community
Stentor
Halteria
Tintinnida

5. Rhizopod Zooplankton These are amoeboid unicellular heterotrophs
Most common taxa observed in the microzooplankton are thecate like Difflugia.

6. Actinopod Zooplankton
These are free-floating cells with radiating axopods. e.g. Actinosphaerium.

7. Turbellarian Zooplankton
These are free-living flatworms that live in stagnant pools and eutrophic lakes. e.g. Stenostomum

8. Rotiferan Zooplankton
Animal heterotrophs that feed by ciliary pads surrounding the mouth.
All have a specialized “jaws” called trophi in the gullet.
Many are covered by a lorica.

9. Typical Life Cycle of a Rotifer

10. Some Rotifers in the Zooplankton
Keratella
Polyarthra
Filinia

11. More Rotifers
Brachionus
Asplanchna
Conochilus

12. Annelid Zooplankton
Oligochaete segmented worm. e.g. Aeolosoma

13. Arthropod Zooplankters
Most freshwater taxa are Crustaceans (arthropods with cephalothorax and abdomen)
Order Anostraca
Order Ostracoda
Order Cladocera
Order Copepoda
Suborder Calanoida
Suborder Cyclopoida
Suborder Harpacticoida

14. Anostracan Zooplankton
Fairy Shrimp
Clam Shrimp
Tadpole Shrimp

15. Ostracod Zooplankters
Sometimes called seed shrimp. Rarely in the euplankton.

16. Cladoceran Zooplankton

17. Cladoceran Life Cycle

18. Filter-Feeding Cladocerans
Holopedium
Diaphanosoma
Chydorus

19. More Filter-Feeding Cladocerans
Daphnia
Bosmina
Moina

20. Predaceous Cladocerans
Leptodora
Polyphemus

21. Copepod Diversity Suborder Cyclopoida Suborder Calanoida
Suborder Harpacticoida

23. Copepod Life Cycle

24. Calanoid Copepods
Diaptomus
Epischura
Limnocalanus

25. Cyclopoid Copepods
Cyclops
Macrocyclops
Megacyclops

26. Harpacticoid Copepods