Species Identification

Invertebrates

  • Invertebrates include all of the animals lacking an internal skeleton of bone or cartilage
  • Many are microscopic; macroinvertebrates are those that may be seen without magnification
  • Biologists often use macroinvertebrates to assess the health of waterbodies
  •  The composition of the invertebrate community tells a story.Some groups are very sensitive to pollution , others are very tolerant, some are sensitive to specific types of pollution (nutrients, heavy metals etc).
  • Identifying species within each group typically requires a microscope and years of dedicated study
  • With few exceptions identification here is at the Family level or higher