Kingdom Animalia Family Diaptomididae Genus Leptodiaptomus sicilis Order Calanoida | Subphylum Crustacea Phylum Arthropoda Rank Species Subclass Copepod | |
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Similar Leptodiaptomus sicilis, Copepod, Calanoida, Skistodiaptomus, Epischura lacustris | ||
Leptodiaptomus ashlandi is a calanoid copepod zooplankton native to the Laurentian Great Lakes and its basin.
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Distribution
Leptodiaptomus ashlandi is a zooplankton species widely distributed across Canada and the northern half of the United States in large deep lakes. It occurs in all the Great Lakes.
Identification
Adult females of L. ashlandi can be distinguished by their two-segmented urosome and asymmetrical, rounded metasomal wings. Males are characterized by a large lateral spine on leg 5, located in the proximal third of the terminal segment, and by the presence of a slender process on the third segment from the distal end of the right antennule.This species is morphologically similar to other Leptodiaptomids (Leptodiaptomus minutus, L. sicilis,) and Skistodiaptomids (Skistodiaptomus oregonensis).