#leptodora

Journey to the Microcosmos- Can Microbes See Without Eyes?

Images Origianlly Captured by Jam’s Germs

“With that said, it is tempting to get caugth up in this story that has been cultivated over eons and relate it entirely to the structures that make up our own eyes. That was our entry point to this discussion after all. But one of the most remarkable aspects of evolution is the understanding that it is not something that was leading to us. Evolution has led to a whole world. All of these remarkable structures and chemicals have their own unique properties that suit the organisms they reside in, allowing creatures that, yes, may be simpler than ourselves to use systems that are not just good enough for their survival, they are ideal for their survival. These organisms are thus able to survive in ways that you and I could never be capable of.”

Journey to the Microcosmos- Can Microbes See Without Eyes?

Genus: Leptodora

Leptodora is a genus which contains two species of large water fleas (Cladocera) L. kindtii and L. richardii. L. kindtii can be found in temperate lakes across the Northern Hemisphere and L. richardii is only known from eastern Russia. Leptodora is the largest species of planktonic cladoceran and is a predator. Leptodora feeds on a wide range of zooplankton, including rotifers and Daphnia, using ts powerful prehensile legs to capture and hold its prey. Leptodora's compound eyes are also well adapted and are designed to minimize shading, making it more or less invisible to predators.

Classification

Animalia-Arthropoda-Crustacea-Branchiopoda-Cladocera-Haplopoda-Leptodoridae-Leptodora