| Common Name |
Scud or Sideswimmer |
| Phylum |
Arthropoda |
| Class |
Malacostraca |
| Order |
Amphipoda |
| Family |
|
| Description |
5-20mm, not including antennae and tails. The body is strongly laterally flattened. They have two pairs of antennae of roughly equal length. For more photos, refer to our online gallery: tinyurl.com/v8m89eq |
| Habitat |
Most commonly found in small and shallow cool streams, springs, seeps, lakes, ponds or backwaters of rivers by tangles of plants, roots, detritus and stones. Amphipoda are especially abundant in areas with a low fish population. |
| Feeding Information |
Uses claws on their first two pairs of thorax legs to hold food while they chew. Omnivorous; feeds on mostly detritus but also algae, fungi, and bacteria. Sometimes eats small living organisms but prefers dead organisms. |
| Water Quality Tolerance |
Overall somewhat tolerant. Some are restricted to cooler, cleaner, and well-oxygenated bodies of water or are sensitive to pollution. |
| References |
Voshell & Wright. 2002. |
