Fresh Water Amphipod Crustaceans: Introduction with photomicrographs of shrimps.

Crustaceans.
Amphipods (Freshwater Shrimps).

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Amphipod Crustaceans.

The Amphipoda are mostly marine, but the order contains the freshwater shrimps, which can be found in a wide range of unpolluted habitats ranging from the freshwater through brackish to fully saline waters.
Of the 4000 or so amphipod species, only around 50 are confined to fresh water.

Freshwater Shrimp.

The freshwater shrimp Gammarus is probably the most familiar and widespread of all the crustaceans of clean, running fresh and brackish water.
They are often found amongst rocks and gravels which give some shelter from predators and retain sediments of the organic debris which forms the major part of their food. They can reach a length of 20mm or so.
Darkfield, x30.