Cyclops

Name (genus): Cyclops

Size : 0.25 – 3 mm

Where to find them : Planktonic, or amongst plants, organic matter etc.

Notes : Cyclops is one of the easiest pond creatures to see and identify even with the naked eye. The female often carries a pair of egg sacs and is a fast swimmer! It possesses just one eye hence it was named after the Greek mythological creature of this name.

They are usually a drab green or brown but can be quite brightly coloured. Another common copepod Diaptomus has one egg sac, longer antennae, and long thin body.

Classification :
Kingdom – Animalia, Phylum – Crustacea, Class – Copepoda