Megacyclops viridis subsp. viridis

Megacyclops viridis viridis (Jurine, 1820) Fig. 19 Diagnosis. Adult female, 1,950 µm in length excluding caudal setae. Caudal ramus 2.5–2.6 times longer than wide, lateral outer setae inserted in the distal third; row of spinules on the distal margin of the third urosomal segment (Fig. 19A). P5 ending in an inner acuminate tip (Fig. 19B, C, E). Inner spine of the P4-endopod terminal segment slightly longer than the outer one (Fig. 19D). Remarks. Large, cosmopolitan species, seldom appearing in high numbers. Specimens found in aquatic macrophyte banks. It is very rare in reservoir zooplankton, but common in lotic stretches and floodplains. As it is the only species of the genus, it is easily identifiable by the P5.