Freshwater Organism List
ENV 311/EEB 320 – Winter 2007
** Use this list to help you study for the lab quizzes **
The following list is not exhaustive but includes a good deal of the taxa you may
encounter in Great Lakes aquatic ecosystems. Note that many of these groups
are not exclusively aquatic–they may include terrestrial and marine forms as well.
You should be familiar with all organisms in bold. All names with an asterisk (*)
represent taxa that you should be able to sight-identify to the indicated level
within two (2) minutes (these will be added as we discover these organisms in
the field). All other organisms may be introduced in class but you will not be
responsible for them on the lab quizzes.
Kingdom Eubacteria
Phylum Cyanophyta – bluegreen algae or cyanobacteria
Kingdom Archaebacteria
Super Kingdom Eukaryota
Kingdom Plantae
"Eukaryotic Algae"
Phylum Chlorophyta – green algae
Phylum Euglenophyta – euglenoids
Phylum Chryptophyta – cyptomonads
Phylum Heterokontophyta
Class Xanthophyceae – yellow–green algae
Class Chrysophyceae – chrysophytes, golden–brown algae
Class Bacillariophyceae – diatoms
Order Centrales
Order Pennales
Class Phaeophyceae – brown algae
Class Oomycota – water molds
Class Bicocoecida – unicellular protozoans
Phylum Pyrrhophyta – dinoflagellates
Phylum Rhodophyta – red algae
"Higher Plants"
Phylum Bryophyta – mosses and liverworts
Family Sphagnaceae – Sphagnum sp. – sphagnum mosses
Phylum Tracheophyta – vascular plants
“Nonseed tracheophytes”
Division Sphenophyta – horsetails
Family Equisetaceae – Equisetum sp. – horsetails, scouring rush
Division Pterophyta – ferns
Family Polypodiaceae – Onoclea sensibilis – sensitive fern
“seed tracheophytes”
Division Pinophyta – conifers
Family Cupressaceae – Thuja occidentalis – northern white cedar
Family Pinaceae – Larix laricina – tamarack, larch
Picea glauca – white spruce
P. mariana – black spruce
Division Magnoliophyta – flowering plants
Class Liliopsida (Monocots)
Family Cabombaceae – Brasenia schreberi – water shield
Family Ceratophyllaceae – Ceratophyllum spp. – coontails
Family Cyperaceae – sedges
Family Halogoraceae – Myriophyllum spp. – milfoils
Family Hydrocharitaceae – Elodea canadensis – American elodea
Family Lemnaceae – Lemna spp. – duckweed
Family Lentibulariaceae – Utricularia sp. – bladderworts
Family Najadaceae – Najas spp. – naiads
Family Nymphaeaceae – water lillies
Family Poaceae – Phragmites australis – Common Reed
Family Ricciaceae – floating liverworts
Family Potamogetonaceae – Potamogeton sp. – pondweeds
Family Sparganiaceae – Sparganium sp. – bur-reeds
Family Typhaceae – Typha sp. – cattail
Class Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Family Aceraceae – Acer spp. maples
Acer negundo–box elder
A. rubrum – red maple
A. saccharinum – silver maple
Family Aquilfoliaceae – Ilex sp. – hollies
Family Asclepidaceae – Asclepias spp. – milkweeds
Family Betulaceae – Alnus incana or rugosa –speckled alder
Family Cornaceae – Cornus spp. – dogwoods
Family Cruciferae – Rorippa sp. – watercress
Family Sarraceniaceae – Sarracenia purpurea – pitcher plant
Family Ericaceae – Chamaedaphne calyculata – leatherleaf
Family Lythraceae – Lythrum salicaria – purple loosestrife
Family Oleaceae – Fraxinus spp. – ashes
Family Platanaceae – Platanus occidentalis – American sycamore
Family Polygonaceae – Rumex sp. – dock
Family Ranunculaceae – Ranunculus spp. – buttercups
Family Rosaceae – rose, ninebark, brambles, etc.
Family Rubiaceae – Cephalanthus sp. – buttonbush
Family Salicaceae – Salix spp. – willow
Family Scrophulariaceae – Veronica sp. – figworts
"Animalia"
Phylum Porifera – sponges
Phylum Cnidaria
Class Hydrozoa – hydras
Phylum Platyhelminthes
Class Turbellaria – flatworms
Phylum Rotifera – rotifers
Phylum Ectoprocta – moss animals
Phylum Annelida
Class Oligochaeta – bristle worms
Class Hirudinea– leeches
Phylum Mollusca
Class Gastropoda – snails
Family Ancylidae– Limpets
Family Lymnaeidae – Pond Snails
Family Physidae – Pouch Snails
Family Planorbidae – Orb Snails
Class Bivalvia – clams and mussels
Family Dreissenidae – Dreissena polymorpha – zebra mussel
Phylum Arthropoda
Superclass Crustacea
Order Ostracoda – seed or clam shrimp
Order Amphipoda – scuds, sideswimmers
Order Isopoda – aquatic sowbugs
Order Decapoda – crayfish and shrimp
Order Cladocera – waterfleas
Order Anostraca – fairy shrimp
Order Mysidacea – opossum shrimp
Order Copepoda – copepods
Superclass Arachnida
Order Acari – watermites
Superclass Hexapoda
Class Parainsecta
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 – dobsonflies, alderflies, and fishflies
Order Neuroptera – spongillaflies
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, salmons and ciscoes
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, salamanders and newts, caecilians
Order Anura– frogs and toads
Family Bufonidae – toads
Family Hylidae – treefrogs and allies
Family Ranidae – true frogs
Order Caudata– salamanders
Order Amphibia – amphibians
Class Reptilia
Order Testudines
Family Chelydridae – snapping turtles
Family Kinosternidae – musk turtles
Family Emydidae – water turtles
Family Trionychidae – softshell turtles
Order Squamata
Suborder Serpentes
Family Colubridae – water snakes
Family Viperidae – Sistrurus catenatus - Eastern Massasauga
Rattlesnake (endangered)
Class Aves – birds
Order Ciconiiformes
Family Gaviidae – loons
Family Podicipedidae – grebes
Family Phalacrocoracidae – cormorants
Family Ardeidae – bitterns, egrets and herons
Family Accipitridae – hawks and eagles
Family Pandionidae – ospreys
Family Charadriidae – plovers, stilts and avocets
Family Scolopacidae – sandpipers and phalaropes
Family Laridae – gulls and terns
Order Anseriformes
Family Anatidae – ducks, geese, swans
Order Coraciiformes
Family Alcedinidae – kingfishers
Order Gruiformes
Family Gruidae – cranes
Family Rallidae – rails, coots and moorhens
Order Passeriformes
Family Hirundinidae – swallows
Family Icteridae – blackbirds