Which Is the Most Common Type of Crustacean?
Crustaceans called copepods are the most abundant of all the crustaceans. Some scientists believe that copepods are the most numerous multicellular animals (animals with more than one cell) found in water. Most copepods are about 1⁄17 inch (1.5 millimeters) long.
Copepods are part of the plankton (PLANGK tuhn), a large variety of tiny organisms, that float or swim near the water’s surface. They live in both fresh and saltwater. Copepods feed on other, smaller members of the plankton. In turn, other animals, especially small fish, eat copepods. The protein that copepods supply to the other animals that feed upon them is an important part of the aquatic food chain.
Not all copepods are free swimmers. Many are parasites (PAR uh sytz), which are organisms that live and feed on other animals. Parasitic copepods infect the skin, gills, mouth, and eyes of fish.
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