Tardigrade
Hypsibius dujardini
The adult Hypsibius dujardini is a microscopic freshwater tardigrade found in damp moss, leaf litter, ponds, and laboratory cultures. It creeps through water films with eight clawed legs and feeds by puncturing algae, plant cells, and small soft-bodied organisms to draw out their contents. It is not fast or forceful, but its cuticle and ability to enter a dry tun state make it famously resistant to drought and other extremes. Adults reproduce by laying eggs, often associated with the molted cuticle.
- Type
- Water / Shell
- Conservation status
- NE
Growth chain
- ?
- Tardigrade