''Bosmina'' is a
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
in the order
Cladocera
The Diplostraca or Cladocera, commonly known as water fleas, is a superorder (biology), superorder of small, mostly freshwater crustaceans, most of which feed on microscopic chunks of organic matter, though some forms are predatory.
Over 1000 sp ...
, the water fleas. Its members can be distinguished from those of ''
Bosminopsis'' (the only other genus in the family
Bosminidae) by the separation of the
antennae; in ''Bosminopsis'', the antennae are fused at their bases.
''Bosmina'' are filter feeders consuming
algae
Algae ( , ; : alga ) is an informal term for any organisms of a large and diverse group of photosynthesis, photosynthetic organisms that are not plants, and includes species from multiple distinct clades. Such organisms range from unicellular ...
and
protozoa
Protozoa (: protozoan or protozoon; alternative plural: protozoans) are a polyphyletic group of single-celled eukaryotes, either free-living or parasitic, that feed on organic matter such as other microorganisms or organic debris. Historically ...
ns about 1–3 μm long. ''Bosmina'' are known to have a dual feeding mechanism. They can filter the water using their second and third legs and the first leg will grab the particles. The second and third legs have small setules attached to the seta to make a mesh-like structure for filtering.
Some ''Bosmina'' species are non-native species, many of which pose a great threat to aquatic ecosystems.
Species list
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Bosmina affinis''
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Bosmina arctica''
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Bosmina berolinensis''
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Bosmina bohemica''
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Bosmina brevirostris''
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Bosmina cederstroemi''
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Bosmina chilensis''
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Bosmina coregoni
''Bosmina'' is a genus in the order Cladocera, the water fleas. Its members can be distinguished from those of ''Bosminopsis'' (the only other genus in the family Bosminidae) by the separation of the antenna (biology), antennae; in ''Bosminopsis' ...
''
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Bosmina crassicornis''
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Bosmina curvirostris''
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Bosmina diaphana''
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Bosmina fatalis''
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Bosmina freyi''
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Bosmina gibbera''
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Bosmina globosa''
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Bosmina hagmanni''
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Bosmina humilis''
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Bosmina insignis''
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Bosmina lacustris''
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Bosmina liederi''
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Bosmina lilljeborgi''
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Bosmina lilljeborgii''
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Bosmina longicornis''
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Bosmina longirostris''
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Bosmina meridionalis''
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Bosmina microps''
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Bosmina mixta''
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Bosmina obtusirostris''
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Bosmina procumbens''
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Bosmina stuhlmanni''
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Bosmina thersites''
References
Further reading
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External links
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Cladocera
Branchiopoda genera
{{Branchiopoda-stub