wim klein breteler

Images of the life stages of calanoid copepods.

This site shows the developmental stages of some small, planktonic crustaceans that are common in the North Sea.

After hatching from an egg, copepods develop through 6 naupliar stages and, subsequently, 6 copepodite stages, the last of which is the adult.

A complete set of images of all developmental stages is present for Acartia clausi, Temora longicornis, Centropages hamatus and Pseudocalanus elongatus. In addition, colour pictures are presented of some naupliar stages and of the adult Calanus finmarchicus. All pictures are from animals cultured in the laboratory in single species cultures. A Table summarises the stage characteristics of the different species.

The pictures of the 4 species mentioned first were originally published by W.C.M. Klein Breteler (1982), The life stages of four pelagic copepods (Copepoda: Calanoida), illustrated by a series of photographs. Netherlands Institute for Sea Research Publication Series no. 6 – 1982.

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