Water flea (daphnia)

Water fleas belong to the Crustacea subphylum, a large group of 'jointed limbed' animals, most of which live in water. Water fleas are placed in the order Cladocera and are common in fresh water. There are many different species of water fleas. Daphnia are herbivores and feed on bacteria and algae but are also a food source themselves for other fresh water animals. This image was created using a darkfield illumination on a light microscope.