Spiny Water Flea

From Great Lakes Wiki

The spiny water flea is a small crustacean with a long, spiny barbed tail that is native to Northern Europe but was found in Lake Huron as early as 1984. These animals, probably carried overseas in ballast water, now inhabit each of the Great Lakes and many of the inland lakes of the Midwest.

Spiny water fleas reproduce rapidly and are not widely consumed by predators because of their tails. Populations remain high while the populations of plankton, the primary source of food for the water flea, dwindle. Other small fish, such as young perch, are in direct competition for this plankton.

External Sources

Great-lakes.net [1]

Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant [2]