Aquatic Invertebrates
Species Types
Scientific Name
Various species in the genus Hydra
Description
We’ve all seen aquariums and pictures of tropical saltwater invertebrates such as corals, jellyfish and anemones—but did you know that there are similar creatures living in the freshwater habitats of Missouri?
Media
![Photo of a leech](/sites/default/files/styles/media_library/public/mo_nature/media/images/2012/11/leech_11-08-12.jpg?itok=Fv5lTPmz)
Species Types
Scientific Name
Various species in the subclass Hirudinea
Description
Most people are repulsed by leeches. But once you get past the fact that many species are parasitic bloodsuckers, you will discover that they are fascinating creatures with an important role in nature.
Media
![Photo of a freshwater jellyfish](/sites/default/files/styles/media_library/public/mo_nature/media/images/2012/11/jellyfish_velum_11-08-12.jpg?itok=CIL0NVcV)
Species Types
Scientific Name
Craspedacusta sowerbii (syn. C. sowerbyi)
Description
You may have heard about stinging jellyfish in the ocean, but did you know that there are similar creatures living in the freshwater of Missouri? Fortunately, they’re harmless!
Media
![Gray, speckled, translucent gelatinous blob cut in half to show structure](/sites/default/files/styles/media_library/public/mo_nature/media/images/2012/11/bryozoancut.jpg?itok=YK31xths)
Species Types
Scientific Name
Freshwater species in the phylum Bryozoa
Description
Bryozoans are tiny, filter-feeding invertebrates. They create colonies that can be mossy, branching, or round and jellylike.
Media
![Photo of crane fly larva](/sites/default/files/styles/media_library/public/mo_nature/media/images/2012/11/crane_fly_larva_11-08-12.jpg?itok=PCFNBDcm)
Species Types
Scientific Name
There are over 500 species of crane flies in North America.
Description
Crane fly larvae are tan or gray grubs that live in aquatic habitats or in moist places on the ground. The harmless adults resemble huge mosquitoes.
Media
![Photo of caddisfly larva with case made of detritus](/sites/default/files/styles/media_library/public/mo_nature/media/images/2012/11/caddisfly_detritus_case_11-08-12.jpg?itok=3yzOmaaF)
Species Types
Scientific Name
About 1,500 species in North America north of Mexico
Description
The aquatic larvae of caddisflies are famous for building portable, protective cases out of local materials, including grains of sand, bits of leaves and twigs, and other debris. The adults are mothlike.
Media
![Photo of a deer fly larva, probably in a petri dish, on a gray background.](/sites/default/files/styles/media_library/public/mo_nature/media/field-guide/Deerfly_Larva_2-23-16.jpg?itok=VPnWVKIm)
Species Types
Scientific Name
Tabanus, Chrysops, and related genera
Description
The larvae of horse and deer flies are fairly straight, segmented, wormlike maggots that are tan, whitish, or brownish. They are aquatic or live in mud, and most are predaceous.
Media
![Photograph of several mosquito larvae resting at water surface](/sites/default/files/styles/media_library/public/mo_nature/media/images/2013/03/mosquito_larvae_03-12-13.jpg?itok=muh0LW8F)
Species Types
Scientific Name
There are about 50 species of mosquitoes in our state.
Description
The larvae of mosquitoes, often called “wrigglers,” have a large head and thorax and a narrow, wormlike abdomen; they typically hang just below the water surface. When disturbed, they wriggle downward.
Media
![Photo of a horsehair worm in an aquarium](/sites/default/files/styles/media_library/public/mo_nature/media/field-guide/Horsehair_Worm_9-7-16.jpg?itok=JVzyxDw6)
Species Types
Scientific Name
About 350 species scientifically described.
Description
Adult horsehair worms can be nearly 3 feet long and live in water. They are practically featureless, smooth, aquatic worms that writhe into knots and curls.
Media
![Photo of an aquatic tubificid worm among rocks in an aquarium.](/sites/default/files/styles/media_library/public/mo_nature/media/field-guide/Tubificid_tubifex_worm_9-26-16.jpg?itok=VySSVsIU)
Species Types
Scientific Name
Tubifex spp. and other aquatic tubificid annelids
Description
Tubificid worms, as a group, include the tubifex worms that aquarists feed to their pet fish. These segmented worms are related to earthworms and like them are detritus eaters.
See Also
About Aquatic Invertebrates in Missouri
Missouri's streams, lakes, and other aquatic habitats hold thousands of kinds of invertebrates — worms, freshwater mussels, snails, crayfish, insects, and other animals without backbones. These creatures are vital links in the aquatic food chain, and their presence and numbers tell us a lot about water quality.