ostracoda (seed shrimp)

These Ostracoda, more commonly referred to as seed shrimp because of their appearance, are crustacea that were sent to us in a wastewater sample.

 

Ecologically, many ostracods are found in fresh water. As filter feeders, they feed primarily on plankton, alga, yeasts, fungi, bacteria, and detritus that can be swept by their hairy appendages. Seed shrimp are often found in in secondary clarifiers, after having been washed in by the rain.

 

What you see here is a close up of them in their shells. They seem to be able to wait out a chemical dump and other types of toxicities. So far, cupric sulfate and emulsified d-limonene seem to kill them, and we are determining the dose.

Done