Caecidotea communis

(Say, 1818)

Caecidotea communis is a freshwater isopod in the Asellidae. It inhabits ponds and exhibits cathemeral activity patterns—maintaining consistent movement rates across day and night periods. The shows insensitivity to from predatory fish, representing the first documented case of cathemerality in crustaceans.

Cave Fauna of North America Plate 02 by Alpheus Spring Packard. Used under a Public domain license.

Caecidotea communis 250x 1683 (35962962184) by Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Caecidotea communis (I1137) 0991 (35784251783) by Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Caecidotea communis: /kaɪsɪˈdoʊtiə kəˈmjuːnɪs/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Images

Habitat

Ponds and other freshwater aquatic environments.

Distribution

North America and Europe. Records include the United States (Vermont, Pennsylvania) and Great Britain.

Behavior

Exhibits cathemeral (metaturnal) activity patterns, maintaining consistent movement rates and proportion of time spent moving across day and night periods. Insensitive to from predatory fish—does not alter activity patterns when exposed to cues.