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Rotifera Cuvier, 1817 Rotifers; Wheel animalcules

Links

Higher taxa:  Life   Rotifera   IDnature guide: Groups_other Overview Phylogeny Links to other sites Acknowledgements We parsed the following live from the Web into this page. Such content is managed by its original site and not cached on Discover Life. Please send feedback and corrections directly to the source. See original regarding copyrights and terms of use. Rotifer Systematic Database, University of Texas at El Paso

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© BioMEDIA ASSOCIATES, 2007 Epiphanes, rotifer	© Public Domain Rotifer, probably a Philodina

Kinds

Adinetidae Asplanchnidae Atrochidae Birgeidae Brachionidae Collothecidae Conochilidae Dicranophoridae Echinoderidae Epiphanidae Euchlanidae Filiniidae Flosculariidae Gastropodidae Habrotrochidae Hexarthridae Ituridae Lecanidae Lepadellidae Lindiidae Microcodidae Microcodinidae Mytilinidae Notommatidae Philodinavidae Philodinidae Proalidae Scaridiidae Seisonidae Synchaetidae Testudinellidae Tetrasiphonidae Trichocercidae Trichotriidae Trochosphaeridae Tylotrochidae

Overview

Rotifers are microscopic aquatic animals that live in freshwater environments and are usually found in lakes, rivers, or streams, but can also be found in diverse areas such as rain gutters, puddles, soil or leaf litter, in sewage tanks, and on freshwater crustaceans and aquatic insect larvae. There are approximately 2,000 different species of rotifers. The name "rotifer" comes from the Latin word meaning "wheel-bearer," referring to the crown of cilia around the mouth of the rotifer. Cilia are hairlike projections that aid in movement and trapping food. Most rotifers are omnivorous with a diet consisting mostly of dead or decomposing organic materials, unicellular algae, and other phytoplankton, but some species are cannibalistic. Rotifers are often preyed upon by shrimp or crabs. Rotifers may reproduce asexually or sexually. In sexual reproduction, rotifers produce two kinds of eggs, female eggs, and male eggs, which cannot feed themselves. The male and female individuals copulate, resulting in a fertilized egg that develops inside the rotifer, forming a zygote, which then grows into an adult rotifer. There is a very limited number of rotifer fossils due to their tiny size and soft bodies. Rotifers are easily observed with the correct procedures and equipment. A pipette should be used to extract rotifers from a sample, and then quickly transferred to a slide to prevent the rotifers from sticking to the inside of the pipette. Cover-slips shouldn't be used on the slide because rotifers are easily disturbed and may contract into a ball.

Phylogeny

Rotifera -- Rotifers Bdelloida Adinetidae Habrotrochidae Philodinavidae Philodinidae Collothecaceae Collothecidae Flosculariaceae Conochilidae Filiniidae Flosculariidae Hexarthridae Testudinellidae Ploima Asplanchnidae Birgeidae Brachionidae Dicranophoridae Epiphanidae Euchlanidae Gastropidae Ituridae Lecanidae Lepadellidae Lindiidae Microcodinidae Mytilinidae Notommatidae Proalidae Scaridiidae Synchaetidae Tetrasiphonidae Trichocercidae Trichotriidae Tylotrochidae

Links to other sites

Rotifer Systematic Database, University of Texas at El Paso Florida State University -- Digital video gallery of rotifers and other pond life. Microscopy UK -- Information on rotifers with images. Manchester Microscopical Society Newsletter -- Information on rotifers and how to find them. Animal Diversity Web University of California, Berkeley

Acknowledgements

Sheena Zhang, University of Georgia, Athens I thank John Pickering for his assistance with the development of this page.