Abstract
This chapter discusses copepods and another Crustacean group, the diverse seed shrimps of the class Ostracoda. Copepods are often the most abundant macro-zooplankton in lakes, streams, and oceans throughout the world and can even inhabit wet organic soils. Copepods are easily distinguished from other crustaceans. Their somewhat cylindrical body has obvious segmentation, abundant, segmented appendages on head and thorax, two spiny (setose) nonlocomotory appendages (rami) projecting from the last abdominal segment, and a single, large eye on the head. Ostracods have a shortened body with a slight constriction between the head and thorax; an abdomen is missing. The most prominent feature of seed shrimp is their bivalve shell which is composed of chitin, heavily impregnated with calcium carbonate in most species. It is an extension of the cuticle and is molted frequently as the animal grows.
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