MOINA
Moina appear in high concentrations in pools, ponds, lakes, ditches, slow-moving streams, and swamps where organic material is decomposing. They become especially abundant in temporary water bodies, which provide them with suitable conditions for only a brief period.
Moina are generally quite tolerant of poor water quality. They live in water where the amount of dissolved oxygen varies from almost zero to supersaturation. Moina are particularly resistant to changes in the oxygen concentration and often reproduce in large quantities in water bodies strongly polluted with sewage. Species of Moina have been reported to play an important role in the stabilization of sewage in oxidation lagoons.
FOOD REQUIREMENTS
Moina feed on various groups of bacteria, yeast, phytoplankton, and detritus (decaying organic matter). Bacterial and fungal cells rank high in food value. Populations of Moina grow most rapidly in the presence of adequate amounts of bacterial and yeast cells as well as phytoplankton.
Moina are one of the few zooplankton which can utilize the blue-green algae Microcystis aeruginosa. Both plant and animal detritus may provide energy for the growth and reproduction of Moina. The food value of detritus depends on its origin and diminishes with the age of the detritus.
LIFE CYCLES OF MOINA
The reproductive cycle of Moina has both a sexual and asexual phase. Normally, the population consists of all females that are reproducing asexually. Under optimum conditions, Moina reproduces at only 4–7 days of age, with a brood size of 4–22 per female. Broods are produced every 1.5–2.0 days, with most females producing 2–6 broods during their lifetime.
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