podocopid ostracod (order Podocopida)

Ostracods are also called mussel shrimp or seed shrimp.

Mussel shrimp differ from most crustaceans in having a very short trunk without external segmentation; nearly all of its body is encased in a hard covering.

Most ostracods live on or near the bottom, feeding on microorganisms and organic debris or preying on small invertebrates. Predators of McMurdo podocopid ostracods include the fish Trematomus bernacchii [2].

; 1: Antarktische und Subantarktische Podocopa (Ostracoda). G Hartmann. Synopses of the Antarctic Benthos Volume 7. Koenigstein : Koeltz Scientific Books, 1997; 2: Polar Biology 13:291-296, 1993

Text ©Peter Brueggeman. Photograph ©Canadian Museum of Nature (Kathleen Conlan). Photograph may not be used in any form without the express written permission of Canadian Museum of Nature (Kathleen Conlan).