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Rotifers
Asplanchna
Keratella
Distinguishing Features: They swim in spiral movements, have no visible eye, can have armored plates, and are transparent.
Size: 50-1,000 microns long
Swimming Behavior: Swimming using the rotation of their corona
Diet and feeding: Consume both phytoplankton and other zooplankton through filter feeding
Reproduction: Clonal and sexual
Fun Facts: Sometimes rotifers look like miniature plastic bags under the microscope. This genus is called Asplanchna.
Taxonomic Groups Observed in Seneca Lake:
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Asplanchna
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Keratella
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Kellicottia
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Polyarthra
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Vorticella
Fun Fact: See the Asplanchna? Do you notice anything different about the inside? It consumed Keratella!
Most Common During: Late spring through late fall
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