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Amphipods

Guide to New Zealand's freshwater invertebrates

Amphipods ( Paracalliopiidae : Paracalliope )

Last pereiopod lacking a claw

Diagnostic features

Paracalliope is probably our most widespread and common freshwater amphipod genus. These small amphipods are typically grey-green when live, but often pale or orange when preserved. An important distinguishing feature is that the last “walking leg” (pereiopod) ends with a few long hairs rather than a claw.

Typical habitats

Paracalliope are abundant in many lowland, slow-flowing weedy streams.

Feeding

They are collector-gatherers, feeding on deposited organic matter and biofilms growing on submerged surfaces.

Indicator value

Paracalliope can be abundant in streams with a wide range of water qualities. They have a hard bottom tolerance value of 5, but no soft bottom value has been assigned for this genus. The general amphipod soft bottom tolerance value is 5.5.