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Malacostraca (malacostracans) |
Major Group: Crustacea Minor Group: Malacostraca The Malacostraca are the largest and most diverse class of subphylum Crustacea. Several malacostracan species are important in aquaculture and food industries. Of the three subclasses, Phyllocarida, Hoplocarida and Eumalacostraca, only Eumalacostraca contains freshwater species. Whilst crustaceans as a whole display highly variable body forms, malacostracans display a single type of basic body structure. |
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Ecology: Instream habitat: Almost every freshwater habitat is utilised by a malacostracan species, in both lotic and lentic surface waters and some uniquely in underground waters. Surface waters include; streams flowing to and through open grasslands, swamps and forested areas; permanent and temporary pools, pools in the downfall of a waterfall; ditches, waterholes, billabongs and lakes; ephemeral creeks, creeks subject to seasonal torrential flow; springs and interstitial waters. Many substrata types are inhabited, including rock, sand, peaty sand, clay, mud and gravel. Malacostracans tend to prefer the littoral zones of water bodies, especially well vegetated areas. They can be found in packs of leaf litter, under rotting logs, under stones, amongst plant roots and burrowing into the substratum. Some species are semi-aquatic being found in Sphagnum moss and in vegetation held water. Feeding ecology: Free living malacostracans are omnivores, predators, detritivores, herbivores and filter feeders. Habit: Many malacostracan species are burrowers. The burrows are connected to open waters or the water table. Some burrows are long, meandering 20-30 cm into the bank whilst others are short burrows or form a catacomb of holes in the soft stream banks. If the water dries out the burrows are sealed with a mud chimney. Malacostracans may be nocturnal or diurnal. They are mostly free living but may also be commensal or ectoparasitic. Life history: |
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Information Sources: Davie 2002, Davie 2002a, Lowry & Stoddart 2003, Poore 2002, Guzik et al. 2008 | ||||||||||||
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