Anaspidaceans: Anaspidacea - Physical Characteristics, Behavior And Reproduction, Anaspidaceans And People, No Common Name (anaspides Tasmaniae): Species Account - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET, CONSERVATION STATUS
live found lake stream
Anaspidaceans are found only in southeastern Australia (including Tasmania), New Zealand, Chile, and Argentina.
The larger species of anaspidaceans usually prefer to live in cool mountain streams, lakes, and swamps. Stream-dwelling species forage on boulders and smaller rocks on the stream bottom. Species living in swamps are found in the burrows of crayfish. Lake species live in mats of algae growing on the bottom. Smaller species live in the sands surrounding underground springs.
Anaspidaceans eat plant and animal materials. Larger species scavenge these materials by scraping them off rocks submerged in water.
Four species of Australian anaspidaceans are listed by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) as Vulnerable, or facing a high rate of extinction in the wild. These include the Tasmanian anaspid crustacean (Allanaspides helonomus), Hickman's Pygmy Mountain shrimp (Allanaspides hickmani), Great Lake Shrimp (Paranaspides lacustris), and Eucrenonaspides oinotheke.
Additional Topics
Anaspidaceans (an-ah-spih-DAY-see-ans) are usually dull brown. They measure up to 1.9 inches (50 millimeters), but some species are less than 0.39 inches (10 millimeters). They have a head, thorax, and abdomen. They may or may not have a beaklike rostrum. The eyes are found either on the tips of stalks or on the head. Some species do not have eyes at all. The first pair of antennae, or antennules …
Physical characteristics: The body of this species is long, and the eyes are on stalks. The thoracic and abdominal segments are similar in length. The pleopods are long and leglike. The telson and uropods form a fanlike tail. Geographic range: This species is found only in Tasmania, Australia. Habitat: Anaspides tasmaniae live in freshwater streams and shallow pools. Diet: They feed on both plant …
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