Spiny water fleas eat small zooplankton, which are an important food source for fish in larval stages, as well as for forage fish that are prey for larger organisms. Background information on Daphnia Part 1 - Physical description Daphnia, commonly called water fleas, are a freshwater zooplankton found in ponds and lakes all over the world. Habitat: Cladocerans are common and abundant in large variety of still water habitats. Pour one-half gallon of water in a pump-type sprayer followed by one-half to 1 1/2 tablespoons of 4.75 percent deltamethrin to control fleas and ticks. Spiny water fleas and their eggs are easily transported in the standing water of boats and bait buckets. Daphnia are distributed throughout much of the world, though they are less abundant in the tropics where water bodies are usually nutrient poor (only six of … Furthermore, fishing lines and down-riggers used in infested lakes can become coated with both eggs and adults which can be transported if the gear is not cleaned before it is used in a different lake. Any of various small chiefly freshwater branchiopod crustaceans of the order Cladocera, having a bivalve carapace and typically swimming with jerking flealike motions, and including the daphnias. Many of them are rare. 4. About 600 species under the order Cladocera has been identified although so much more are still unrecognized. Bret Shaw: Spiny water fleas came to the United States in the 1980s in the bilge water from freight ships coming over from Europe and within a decade or two had spread throughout all of the Great Lakes and now they are moving into the … Water fleas under the order Cladocera have the scientific name of Daphnia ambigua which is the most common genus of the species. They're tiny crustaceans, but too little to boil and serve with melted butter. Water flea definition is - any of various small active dark or brightly colored aquatic crustaceans (such as a daphnia or cyclops). Water flea definition: any of numerous minute freshwater branchiopod crustaceans of the order Cladocera, which... | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples Log In Dictionary Also called cladoceran. See more. Furthermore, fishing lines and down-riggers used in infested lakes can become coated with both eggs and adults which can be transported if the gear is not cleaned before it is used in a different lake. Both arrived in ships' ballast water from Eurasia. Any of various other small aquatic crustaceans, such as some copepods, that swim with a similar motion. Water fleas are very common in fresh water, in Britain you can find about 80 different species, in The Netherlands about a 100 species. Any of various small chiefly freshwater branchiopod crustaceans of the order Cladocera, having a bivalve carapace and typically swimming with jerking flealike motions, and including the daphnias. In the last decade, two tiny species have had a huge impact on local water … water flea n. 1. The water flea gets its names because of the way it swims.