| Bythotrephes longimanus | |
|---|---|
| |
| The spiny water flea (below), and the fishhook waterflea (above) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Branchiopoda |
| Order: | Onychopoda |
| Family: | Cercopagididae |
| Genus: | Bythotrephes |
| Species: | B. longimanus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Bythotrephes longimanus (Leydig, 1860) [1]
| |
| Synonyms | |
|
Bythotrephes cederstroemi | |
Bythotrephes longimanus (also Bythotrephes cederstroemi), or the spiny water flea, is a planktonic crustacean less than 15 millimetres (0.6 in) long. It is native to fresh waters of Northern Europe and Asia, but has been accidentally introduced and widely distributed in the Great Lakes area of North America since the 1980s.[1][2] Bythotrephes is typified by a long abdominal spine with several barbs which protect it from predators.
- ^ a b USDA National Invasive Species Information Center: Spiny Water Flea
- ^ Bythotrephes longimanus USGS NAS – Nonindigenous Aquatic Species