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