Plant hitchhikers

[Joergen.Schoppe]

Snails, even a apple snail, but they are very common here, are a pest actually, I'm told.
All kind lots of algae. Guess my leeches also came with the plants, find some in the filter every time I clean it.

 

[eveliens]

Snails (pond, ramshorn, mts), duckweed, and blue fin killies (boy was I surprised; they were pond plants from the LFS and when I drained the pond in the fall I found about a dozen and a half of them!).

 

[Notophthalmus]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but Hooked Newbie recently suggested I put together an article to help folks ID invert hitchhikers that often show up in tanks or are found when collecting in the wild. I'd like input on any animals that should be added to the following list:

MOLLUSCS

Pond snails (Physidae)
Ramshorn snails (Planorbidae)
Malaysian Trumpet Snails (Melanoides tuberculata)
Apple and mystery snails (Ampullariidae)
Limpets (Ancylidae)

Fingernail clams (Sphaeriidae)
Asiatic clams (Corbiculidae)
Freshwater mussels (Unionidae)

SEGMENTED WORMS

Blackworms
Tubifex
Lumbriculids
Leeches

OTHER WORMS

Planaria
Nematomorphs (horsehair worms)

INSECTS

Chironomid midges (bloodworms)
Chaoborid midges (glassworms)
Mosquitoes
Craneflies
Horseflies

Diving beetles (water tigers)
Whirligig beetles
other aquatic beetles

Water scorpions and water stick insects (Nepidae)
Water striders
Backswimmers
Water boatmen
Giant water bugs
Thread-legged bugs

Mayflies
Stoneflies
Dragonflies
Damselflies
Fishflies and Dobsonflies (Hellgramites)
Caddisflies

CRUSTACEANS

Cladocerans (i.e. Daphnia)
Copepods
Ostracods
Conchostracans
Fairy shrimp
Amphipods
Isopods
True shrimp
Crayfish

ARACHNIDS

Water mites
Fishing spiders
Long-jawed spiders

SESSILE INVERTEBRATES

Hydra
Bryozoans
Sessile rotifers