Who would have thought how interesting and mysterious the underwater world can be! Here you can meet not only large and small marine inhabitants, but also very small creatures with an amazing body structure. Such animals include the unusual crustacean - cyclops. It is a funny arthropod with short and long antennae and a translucent body. We will tell further about what this creature is, why it is so called, and how many eyes the cyclops have.
Cyclops general characteristics
In most people, the cyclops is associated with a huge fairytale giant, possessing tremendous power and, most notably, a single eye. However, the hero of our article today has nothing to do with this giant, except for the name and some other external signs, but we will talk about them later. On the contrary, it is a very small copepod. The length of his body is only 1-5.5 mm.
Crustacean body description
An elongated and narrowed carcass (biology textbooks say that it is divided into the cephalothorax and abdomen) of this pretty crustacean contains four pairs of legs that look more like thin pencil lines. Here it is such an amazing and unique - cyclops (crustaceans). How many eyes he has can be seen only with a large magnification of the creature, under a powerful microscope. While moving it in water, it is almost impossible to do.
By the way, males also have a fifth pair of legs, but it has a slightly different purpose. The fact is that when communicating with a female, her partner with these spare legs keeps her friend near him. This is how he ensures his peace of mind and immobilizes his “lady of the heart” at the right moment for him.
When and where can you see the cyclops?
Not sure how many eyes the cyclops have? We will be happy to tell you about this, but we will do it a bit later. The favorite habitat of the crustacean is the coastal zone in fresh water, where it appears en masse in early April. It was at this time that the temperature already reached 8-10 ºС, which is quite acceptable for the reproduction of small flocks of cyclops.
Closer to mid-summer, the number of these crustaceans decreases sharply, and in September increases again. In winter, the number of arthropods decreases. The little cyclops themselves become less active. However, they do not fall into suspended animation.
How many eyes does the cyclops have: what does a mythical character and crustacean have in common?
The small crustacean with antennae and thin legs has only one eye, which, in fact, brings it closer to the mythical character. Outwardly, these tiny creatures look like a slightly elongated tadpole with antennae and tail with single-branch antennas. In the middle of their heads are equipped with short antennae (slightly bent whiskers). Here, there is one single eye that allows these babies to distinguish objects in fresh water. So if someone asks you how many eyes the cyclops have, you will find what to answer.
The internal structure of the body
Although the cyclops belongs to the animal kingdom, it can be talked about as a simple organism. Firstly, he has no heart. Secondly, he has no blood vessels at all, and all internal organs are washed by an almost colorless hemolymph.
We have already discussed how many eyes the cyclops have. A photo with a schematic representation of this unusual organism, by the way, can be seen below. However, the question of the number of organs of vision of this representative of crustaceans is far from the only one that needs clarification. An important subject for discussion is the internal structure of the crustacean and the functioning of its digestive system. So, these copepod arthropods have an intestine, which is stimulated by the movement of hemolymph.
Respiratory system and level of vision
The crustacean breathes with the whole body. Despite the simplicity of his physique, this extraordinary arthropod has a real nervous system that does not contain nodes. It is presented in the form of a combination of abdominal cords and the brain.
In addition, the freshwater body has good vision. If you still do not know how many eyes the cyclops have, we recall: one. But, in spite of this fact, this little creature is perfectly oriented on the ground, swims quickly and even performs simple maneuvers in the event of a collision with predators.
What and how do cyclops eat?
Despite the simplicity of the structure of the body and internal organs, the cyclops is considered a predator. Most often they feed on rotifers, the smallest crustaceans, the simplest microorganisms. But they themselves are a major link in the food chain for the younger generation of fry and fish.
By the way, the cyclops themselves can also feed on the small inhabitants of aquariums and fresh water bodies. This happens as follows: the crustacean is attached to the body of the fish, the length of which is no more than 4-5 mm, and begins to bite off pieces from it little by little. And as soon as the victim chosen by the crustacean weakens, a whole flock of his relatives is attacked and continues to destroy it. As you can see, the appetite does not depend on how many eyes the cyclops have. The animal, despite its inferiority, feels great and easily satisfies hunger, using all the methods known to it, including collective ones.
Less often, these lower crustaceans give their body "for rent" for apparently unpleasant parasites. For example, the services of a “cyclop taxi” are often used by worms of a wide ribbon and wrist. With the help of these crustaceans, parasites move in the aquatic environment and look for new hosts. About how many eyes the cyclops (an animal is very interesting, is not it?), We described above. Next, we will introduce you to insects of the same name, which also have unusual external data.
Female cyclops and features of bearing eggs
The females of these crustaceans are larger. In addition, in their body there are small bag-like compartments attached to the very base of the abdomen. It is in these peculiar containers that the already fertilized eggs are placed. On average, their number does not exceed 10-12 pairs. Interestingly, immediately after the birth of the babies, the female sheds her stretched bags, which easily grow back with each subsequent process of gestation.
Where can I use and how to catch the cyclops?
Cyclops babies can be used as food for aquarium fish. You can catch them with a net. At the same time, the tool should be equipped with a capron or a fabric made of frequent mill gas.
