Water flea

The water flea is completely transparent which helps it hide from other hungry dragonfly and beetle larvae. The water fleas are all females during the wet phase of a vernal pool. Water flea females can reproduce by themselves asexually without the help of a male and their young babies are all females that grow exactly like their mother. 

This interesting process of reproduction is called parthenogenesis. In addition, almost half of the female water fleas turn into males like a miracle – because females can’t make ephippia (special water flea cysts) without them. These interesting creatures feed on algae, bacteria and protozoa and they use their legs to do it. 

Nevertheless, the major predators of this flea species are the backswimmer, water boatman and the larvae of the phantom midge.