Copepod
subclass of crustaceans
Copepods (meaning "oar feet") are small, shrimp-like crustaceans that swim in seas, lakes, and ponds. Copepods are very important in the food web, and many animals eat them.
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| Subclass: | Copepoda H. Milne-Edwards, 1840
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There are 10 orders of copepods and over 4500 species; a few orders are free-swimming, but many are parasites (of fish). The free-swimming copepods move through the water in jerky motions by moving their swimming legs.
Wikispecies has information on: Copepoda.
