Freshwater Organisms NRE311/511 Winter 2004

Names in BOLD = know scientific and common names; Names with asterisk (*) = be able to sight-ID in Lab within 2 minutes 

Kingdom Eubacteria

Phylum Cyanophyta - bluegreen algae or cyanobacteria

Kingdom Archaebacteria

Super Kingdom Eukaryota

Kingdom Plantae

"Eukaryotic Algae"

Phylum (Division) Chlorophyta* - green algae

Phylum (Division) Euglenophyta - euglenoids 

Phylum (Division) Chryptophyta - cyptomonads

Phylum (Division) Heterokontophyta

Class Xanthophyceae - yellow-green algae

Class Chrysophyceae - chrysophytes, golden-brown algae

Class Bacillariophyceae* - diatoms

Order Centrales*

Order Pennales*

Class Phaeophyceae - brown algae

Class Oomycetes - water molds

Class Bicocoecida - unicellular protozoans

Phylum (Division) Pyrrhophyta, or Dinophyta - dinoflagellates

Phylum (Division) Rhodophyta - red algae

"Higher Plants"

Phylum (Division) Bryophyta* - mosses and liverworts

Family Sphagnaceae* - Sphagnum sp. - sphagnum mosses

Phylum (Division) Tracheophyta* - vascular plants

“nonseed tracheophytes”

Class Sphenophyta - horsetails

Family Equisetaceae - Equisetum sp.* - horsetails, scouring rush

Class Pterophyta - ferns

Family Polypodiaceae - Onoclea sensibilis* - sensitive fern

“seed tracheophytes”

Class Coniferophyta - conifers

Family Cupressaceae – Thuja sp.* - northern white cedar

Family Pinaceae – Larix laricina* - tamarack

Family Pinaceae – Picea sp.* - spruces

Class Angiospermae - flowering plants

Monocots

Family Cabombaceae – Brasenia schreberi – water shield

Family Ceratophyllaceae – Ceratophyllum spp. – coontails

Family Cruciferae – Rorippa sp.* – watercress, mustards

Family Cyperaceae* - sedges

Family Halogoraceae – Myriophyllum sp.* – milfoils

Family Hydrocharitaceae – Elodea canadensis* – American elodea

Family Lemnaceae – Lemna sp.* – duckweed

Family Lentibulariaceae – Utricularia sp. – bladderworts

Family Najadaceae – Najas spp. - naiads

Family Nymphaeaceae* – water lillies

Family Graminaceae - Phragmites sp.* - Reed Grass

Family Ricciaceae – floating liverworts

Family Potamogetonaceae – Potamogeton sp.* - pondweeds

Family Sparganiaceae – Sparganium sp. – bur-reeds

Family Typhaceae - Typha sp.* - cattail

Dicots

Family Aceraceae – Acer sp.* – maples

Family Aquilfoliaceae - Ilex sp. - hollies

Family Asclepidaceae – Aslepias sp. – milkweed

Family Betulaceae – Alnus sp.* – alders

Family Brassicaceae – Nasturtium

Family Cornaceae – Cornus sp.* - dogwoods

Family Sarraceniaceae – Sarracenia purpurea* - pitcher plant

Family Ericaceae – Chamaedaphne sp.* – leatherleaf

Family Lythraceae – Lythrum salicaria * – purple loosestrife

Family Platanaceae - Platanus occidentalis* – sycamore

Family Polygonaceae – Rumex sp. – dock

Family Ranunculaceae – Ranunclulus sp. – buttercups

Family Rosaceae – roses, cherries, etc.

Family Rubiaceae – Cephalanthus sp. – buttonbush

Family Salicaceae – Salix sp.* - willow

Family Scrophulariaceae – Veronica - figworts

"True Fungi"

"Animalia"

Phylum Porifera - sponges

Phylum Coelenterata

Class Hydrozoa - hydras

Phylum Platyhelminthes*

Class Turbellaria - flatworms

Phylum Rotatoria* - rotifers

Phylum Bryozoa - moss animals

Phylum Annelida

Class Oligochaeta* - bristle worms

Class Hirundinea*- leeches

Phylum Mollusca

Class Gastropoda* - snails

Family Ancylidae* – Limpets

Family Physidae* – Pouch Snails

Family Planorbidae* – Orb Snails

Class Pelecypoda* - clams and mussels

Family Dreissenidae – Dreissena polymorpha – zebra mussel

Phylum Arthropoda

Superclass Crustacea

Order Ostracoda* - seed or clam shrimp

Order Amphipoda* - scuds

Order Isopoda* - aquatic sowbugs

Order Decapoda – crayfish

Family Cambaridae*

Order Cladocera* - waterfleas

Order Anostraca* - fairy shrimp

Order Mysidacea - opossum shrimp

Order Eucopepoda* - copepods

Superclass Arachnida

Order Acari* - watermites

Superclass Hexapoda

Class and Order Collembola - springtails

Class Insecta

Order Ephemeroptera* - mayflies

Order Odonata* - dragon- and damselflies

Order Orthoptera – katydids, grasshoppers, crickets

Order Plecoptera* - stoneflies

Order Heteroptera (=Hemiptera)* - true bugs

Order Megaloptera* - dobson-, alder-, and fishflies

Order Trichoptera* - caddisflies

Order Lepidoptera - moths and butterflies

Order Hymenoptera – (parasitic) wasps

Order Coleoptera* - beetles

Order Diptera* - true flies

Phylum Chordata - chordates, Subphylum Vertebrata - vertebrates

Class Agnatha - lampreys and hagfishes

Family Petromyzontidae* - lampreys

Class Osteichthyes - bony fishes(common families only)

Order Lepisosteiformes - gars

Family Lepisosteidae* - gars

Order Amiiformes - bowfins

Family Amiidae* - bowfins

Order Clupeiformes - herring-like fishes

Family Salmonidae* - trouts and salmon

Family Umbridae* - mudminnows

Family Esocidae* - pikes

Order Cypriniformes - minnows, suckers, catfishes

Family Cyprinidae* - minnows, carps

Family Catostomidae* - suckers

Family Ictaluridae* - catfishes

Order Perciformes - perches, sunfishes, sculpins

Family Percidae* - perches and darters

Family Centrarchidae* - sunfishes and basses

Family Cottidae* - sculpin

Family Gasterosteidae* - sticklebacks

Class Amphibia - frogs and toads, salmanders and newts, caecilians