Daphniidae
Encyclopedia
Daphniidae is a family in the order Cladocera
Cladocera
Cladocera is an order of small crustaceans commonly called water fleas. Around 620 species have been recognised so far, with many more undescribed. They are ubiquitous in inland aquatic habitats, but rare in the oceans. Most are long, with a down-turned head, and a carapace covering the apparently...

 (small crustaceans also known as water fleas). Species within this family occur in several places within Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

 including Lake Chad
Lake Chad
Lake Chad is a historically large, shallow, endorheic lake in Africa, whose size has varied over the centuries. According to the Global Resource Information Database of the United Nations Environment Programme, it shrank as much as 95% from about 1963 to 1998; yet it also states that "the 2007 ...

 in northwest Africa and in the Makgadikgadi Pans in Botswana
Botswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...

. Some of these occurrences are locations of shallow lakes where seasonal water levels vary considerably.

The following genera are included in the family:
  • Ceriodaphnia Dana, 1853
  • Daphnia
    Daphnia
    Daphnia are small, planktonic crustaceans, between 0.2 and 5 mm in length. Daphnia are members of the order Cladocera, and are one of the several small aquatic crustaceans commonly called water fleas because of their saltatory swimming style...

    O. F. Müller, 1785
  • Scapholeberis Schoedler, 1858
  • Simocephalus Schoedler, 1858

The members of the family Moinidae
Moinidae
Moinidae is a crustacean family within the order Cladocera. Species within this family are widely occurring including the continents of North America and Africa. In newer classifications it is sometimes included in the family Daphniidae....

may also be placed among the Daphniidae.
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