Latreille, 1817
Adult carapace, if present, is a dorsal shield or bivalve shell enclosing the body. Appendages are generally phyllopodous; antennulaes (a1) usually unsegmented; maxillules and maxillae reduced, vestigial, or absent; maxillipeds always absent; thoracopods usually uniform in shape and foliaceous. Abdomen usually without appendages; telson usually with caudal rami. Typically with paired compound and single, simple eyes.
The juvenile (naupliar ) carapace, if present, is not enclosing the entire body; antenna (a2) is biramous. Antennule (a1) usually less than half the length of the antenna; mandible uniramous.
Most branchiopods are small, freshwater or brackish-water forms, a few genera occur in the marine environment. All North Sea planktonic branchiopods belong to the Order Cladocera; the included species are listed at the page Order Cladocera. The key to North Sea cladocera starts at Page 142: Cladocera. The following cladoceran branchiopod species are included in this volume:
Family Bosminidae
Bosmina longispina
Family Podonidae
Podon polyphemoides
Podon leuckartii
Podon intermedius
Evadne nordmanni
Evadne spinifera
Evadne tergestina
Family Sididae
Penilia avirostris