Guide to Identification of Fresh Water

Microorganisms
Microscopic autotrophic organisms (i.e. algae)
Name
Green algae
(with
flagella,
small)
<.05 mm

Picture

Characteristic
1.
2.
3.
4.

flagella
small
solitary
rapid movement

Taxonomy
Phylum
Chlorophyceae
i.e.
Chlamyolomonas
sp.

Green algae
(with
flagella)
.5-2mm

1. spherical
2. colonial
3. with two flagella

Phylum
Chlorophyceae
i.e. Volvox sp.

Green algae
(no flagella)
<.5 mm

1. spherical to
conical
2. not attached to
surface
3. no movement

Phylum
Chlorophyceae
i.e. Pediastrum sp.

Filamentous
green algae
<.1 mm
cms

1. non branching
2. chains of cells
with chloroplast
3. no flagella

Phylum
Gamophyceae
i.e. Zygnema sp.
Spirogyra sp.

Desmids
<.5 mm

1. green
2. no flagella
3. mainly solitary,
some colonial
4. various shapes
5. two semi-cell,
mirror image

Phylum
Gamophyceae
i.e. Desmidium sp
Closterium sp.

Diatoms
<.5 mm

1. one cell
2. slow gliding
motion
3. solitary or
colonial
4. cell wall
(frustules) made
of silica

Phylum
Bacillariophyceae
i.e. Pennales,
Centric

Math/Science Nucleus 2004

Protozoa heterotrophic only

Picture

Flagellates
<.5mm

Characteristic
1. one or more
flagella
2. colonial or free
living
3. with or without
lorica

Taxonomy
Zoomastigophora
i.e choanoflagellates

Amoeba
.02 5 mm

1. pseudopodia
2. slow movement
3. engulfs food

Sacrodina
Order Amoebina
i.e. Amoeba proteus

Shelled
Amoeba
.1-.4 mm

1. amoeba with a
shell, usually
sand grains
2. pseudopodia
3. slow movement

Sacrodina
Order Testacea
i.e Arcella sp.

Heliozoans
.01-1 mm

1. spherical
2. radiating hair
like pseudopods
3. no movement

Sacrodina
Order Heliozoea

Ciliates
Peritrich
< .25 mm

1. cylindrical or
bell shaped
bodies
2. undulating cilia
3. some stalked
4. often colonial
5. attached to
different
substrate

Ciliophora
Order Peritrichida
i.e. Vorticella sp.

Ciliates
Suctoria
<.7 mm

1. no cilia, sticky
tentacles
some attached to
other organisms
(i.e. Suctoria)

Ciliophora
Order Eridogenida
i.e. Tokophyra sp.

Math/Science Nucleus 2004

Ciliates
Paramecium
.01 4mm

1. mostly free
living forms
2. cell of fixed
shape
3. movement by
contraction and
use of cilia
4. fixed mouth and
anal pore

Ciliophora
Order
Oliogohymenophorea
i.e. Paramecium sp

Ciliates
Stentor
.01 4 mm

1. large body
2. contractile
3. cilia on mouth
end

Ciliophora
Orer Heterotrichea
i.e. Stentor sp.

Ciliates
Coleps
.01-4mm

1. barrel-shaped
2. spinous
projection at
posterior end
3. cytosome apical

Ciliophora
Order Prostomatea
i.e. Coleps sp.

Math/Science Nucleus 2004

Other fresh water plankton (Animalia, Monera, etc)

Picture

Characteristic

Taxonomy

Blue-green
algae
(cyanobacteria)

1. blue green color

Kingdom
Monera
i.e. Annabella
sp.

Euglenoids
<.4mm

1. sometimes
green
2. flagellate
3. red eye spot

Phylum
Euglenida
i.e. Euglena sp.

Dinoflagellates
<.4mm

Rotifers
.4mm - 2 cm

Hydra
2 cm

Flatworms
1-15+ mm

Math/Science Nucleus 2004

1.
2.
3.
4.

free swimming
tough armor
flagellate
autotrophic,
heterotrophic

1. corona with cilia

Phylum
Dinoflagellate

Phylum Rotifer
Class
Bdelloided
Class
Monogononta

Phylum
Cnidaria
i.e. Hydra sp.

Phylum
Platyhelminthes
Class
Turbellaria
i.e. Planaria sp.

Roundworms
.2-10 mm

1. moves in rapid
s form
2. round body
3. bilateral
4. anterior,
posterior
openings

Phylum
Nematodes

Oligochaetes
1.5 mm - >2
cm

1. segmented
2. worm motion
3. hair bundles
(setae)

Phylum
Annelida
Class
Oligochaeta

Leeches
> 1 cm

1. predatory or
parasitic
2. terminal suckers
3. hermaphroditic

Phylum
Annelida
Class Hirudinea

1. mainly benthic
2. head bristles
3. eat algae,
bacteria,
protozoa

Phylum
Gastrotricha
Order
Chaetonotida

Gastrotricha
.1-1.5mm

Tardigrades
Little water
bears
< 1 mm

Math/Science Nucleus 2004

1. head and 4 trunk

Arthropods - segmented, exoskeletons

Picture

Characteristic

Ostracods
<2mm

1. bean-like shell
2. filter feeders
3. bivalve
carapace

Copepods
.5-3mm

1. long antennae
2. tiny eyespot
3. holoplankton

Water fleas
.3-10mm

Isopods
5-20mm

Amphipods
5-25mm

Water
mites
.5-5mm

Alderfly
nymph
5-25mm
Caddisfly
larva
3-40mm

Math/Science Nucleus 2004

1. antennae
2. large compound
eye
3. holoplankton
1. flattened
2. 7 pairs legs
3. scavengers
1. curved
2. compressed
body
3. humped back
4. scavengers
1. 8 legs
2. round body
3. larvae
(parasitic)
4. nymph looks
like adult
1. one tail
2. long filaments
along the
abdomen
3. meroplankton
1. cylindrical case
for protection
2. distinct case but
different
materials

Taxonomy
Class
Crustacea
Order
Ostracoda
i.e. Cypris sp.
Class
Crustacea
Order
Copepoda
Class
Crustacea
Order
Cladocera
i.e. Daphnia sp
Class
Crustacea
Order Isopoda
Class
Crustacea
Order
Amphipoda
Class
Arachnida
Order Acarina
Class Insecta
Order
Megaloptera
Family Sialidae
Class Insecta
Order
Trichoptera

Stonefly
nymph
<15 mm

1. two jointed tails

Class Insecta
Order
Plecoptera

Mayfly
nymph
<15mm

1. three jointed
tails
2. leaf-like gills on
sides

Class Insecta
Order
Ephemeroptera

Damselfly
Nymph
<15mm

1. three leaf like

Class Insecta
Order Odonata
Zygoptera

Dragonfly
nymph
<15mm

1. robust
2. no tail
appendages
3. extendable jaws

Class Insecta
Order Odonata
Anisoptera

Water
boatman
nymph.and
adult
10-15mm

1. no jaws
2. tube-like beak
3. nymphs dont
have wings

Class Insecta
Order
Hemiptera
Family
Corixidae

Water
beetle
<45mm

adult

nymph
Mosquito
larva
1-20 mm

1. strong jaws
2. tough shield
3. fierce predator
1. strong jaws
2. long segmented
body
3. short legs
1. long slender
body
2. moves in
undulating s
curves

Class Insecta
Order
Coleoptera
Family Elmidae

Class Insecta
Order Diptera

Drawings redrawn from http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/pond/index.html

Math/Science Nucleus 2004