An underwater picture of a colony of freshwater mussels living on the bottom of the water.

Great Lakes Benthic Invertebrate Guide

This guide was developed by Kit Hastings and Susan Daniel to support the EPA Long-term Benthic Monitoring Project and Cooperative Science and Monitoring Initiative. It is intended to be used in conjunction with relevant identification keys, to aid in the identification of aquatic invertebrates found in the benthos of the Great Lakes. This project is still in development, but eventually all of the species found in the EPA benthos samples will be represented in this guide. Microscope photos of relevant distinctive features will be on each species page to aid in identification.

Number of species

60

Oligochaeta

52

Chironomidae

18

Mollusca

9

Crustaceans

6

Hirudinea

12

Miscellaneous

Taxa List

Oligochaeta

Family Lumbriculidae

Family Naididae, Subfamily Naidinae

Family Naididae, Subfamily Tubificinae

Family Enchytraeidae

  • Enchytraeidae

Chironomidae

  • Acalcarella sp.
  • Chironomus sp.
  • Cladopelma sp.
  • Coelotanypus sp.
  • Cricotopus sp.
  • Cryptochironomus sp.
  • Cryptotendipes sp.
  • Demicryptochironomus sp.
  • Dicrotendipes fumidus
  • Epoicocladius flavens
  • Glyptotendipes sp.
  • Harnischia sp.
  • Heterotrissocladius marcidus group
  • Heterotrissocladius subpilosus group
  • Hydrobaenus sp.
  • Hydrosmittia spp.
  • Labrundinia sp.
  • Microchironomus sp.
  • Micropsectra sp.
  • Microtendipes pedellus group
  • Monodiamesa depectinata
  • Monodiamesa tuberculata
  • Orthocladius sp.
  • Parachironomus chaetoalus complex
  • Paracladopelma undine
  • Paracladopelma winnelli
  • Parakiefferiella nigra
  • Parakiefferiella sp. A
  • Paralauterborniella nigrohalteralis
  • Paramerina sp.
  • Paratanytarsus sp.
  • Paratendipes albimanus
  • Parochlus kiefferi
  • Phaenopsectra obediens group
  • Polypedilum halterale group
  • Polypedilum scalaenum group
  • Polypedilum tuberculum
  • Potthastia longimanus group
  • Procladius sp.
  • Protanypus sp.
  • Psectrocladius sp.
  • Pseudochironomus sp.
  • Pseudodiamesa spp.
  • Rheotanytarsus sp.
  • Sergentia spp.
  • Stempellina sp.
  • Stempellinella sp.
  • Stictochironomus sp.
  • Tanytarsus sp.
  • Thienemanniella sp.
  • Tribelos jucundum
  • Zavrelia spp.

Mollusca

Bivalvia

  • Dreissena polymorpha
  • Dreissena rostriformis bugensis
  • Pisidium spp.
  • Musculium/Sphaerium spp.

Gastropoda

  • Bithynia tentaculata
  • Ferrissia rivularis
  • Gyraulus spp.
  • Helisoma anceps
  • Physa sp.
  • Potamopyrgus antipodarum
  • Probythinella lacustris
  • Somatogyrus subglobosus
  • Stagnicola sp.
  • Valvata lewisi
  • Valvata perdepressa
  • Valvata piscinalis
  • Valvata sincera
  • Valvata tricarinata

Crustaceans

Amphipoda

  • Diporeia spp.
  • Echinogammarus ischnus
  • Gammarus fasciatus
  • Gammarus pseudolimnaeus
  • Gammarus tigrinus
  • Hyalella azteca

Isopoda

  • Caecidotea sp.
  • Lirceus sp.

Mysida

  • Mysis diluviana

Hirudinea

  • Erpobdellidae
  • Helobdella elongata
  • Helobdella stagnalis
  • Piscicola geometra
  • Piscicola milneri
  • Placobdella montifera

Miscellaneous

Nemertea

  • Nemertea sp.

Polychaeta

  • Manayunkia speciosa

Turbellaria

  • Girardia tigrina
  • Hydrolimax grisea

Hydridae

  • Hydra sp.

Ephemeroptera

  • Caenis sp.
  • Hexagenia sp.

Hemiptera

  • Trichocorixa borealis

Trichoptera

  • Banksiola sp.
  • Molanna flavicornis
  • Oecetis sp.
  • Polycentropus sp.