Aquatic Invertebrates
Media
![Photo of a spothanded crayfish viewed from above on white background.](/sites/default/files/styles/media_library/public/mo_nature/media/images/2015/07/spothanded_crayfish_7-16-15.jpg?itok=Mbd1LuGo)
Species Types
Scientific Name
About 38 species in Missouri
Description
Crayfish are freshwater aquatic invertebrates that look a lot like small lobsters, to which they are related. There are about 38 species of crayfish in Missouri.
Media
![Photo of a pink planarian on a rock.](/sites/default/files/styles/media_library/public/mo_nature/media/images/2014/07/pink_planarian_7-8-14.jpg?itok=kswxFmwE)
Species Types
Scientific Name
Dugesia, Planaria, and other genera
Description
Unlike their parasitic cousins in the flatworm group, turbellarians, or planarians, are tiny carnivores or detritus-eaters that glide smoothly across submerged leaves and other objects.
See Also
About Aquatic Invertebrates in Missouri
Missouri's streams, lakes, and other aquatic habitats hold thousands of kinds of invertebrates — worms, freshwater mussels, snails, crayfish, insects, and other animals without backbones. These creatures are vital links in the aquatic food chain, and their presence and numbers tell us a lot about water quality.