Stream invertebrate ID

[muscardinus]

This is my first post so bear with me!

I've just moved to Somerset (after too long in London) and am gradually exploring my new surroundings. Today I was rummaging through some dead leaves piled up in the stream outside my house and found lots of small, nearly transparent creatures wriggling around. They had smooth bodies with an arched back and a pair of segmented appendages at both ends.

Could they be freshwater shrimps? Or is there another invert you'd expect to see? It's a fast-flowing stream in an upland area - the Quantock hills.

I had planned to rake out the leaves and take them to my compost heap because I'd assumed that the silting up was detrimental to the health of the stream, but now that I've come across these critters I am wondering if that would do more harm than good. Any advice much appreciated!

[Dogghound]

Yes they sound like the freshwater shrimp Gammarus pulex, a good indicator that the stream is pollution free.

Welcome to WAB.

[muscardinus]

Thanks for the info dogghound. Somehow shrimps seem to be an exotic creature to be living in a little stream...

I don't know very much about inverts really. Maybe I should get a net to have a closer look at them.

WAB seems to be lively forum and I'm glad I've found it. But it's a strange and complex organism, what with all these avatars, emoticons and buttons to press.

[Dogghound]

Yes its a good place on here to learn and pick up the interest with like minded people .

They are not the same type of shrimp that you find in the sea.

[Gerel]

I used to live in house where the water supply came unfiltered from a spring. We would occasionally get Gammerus coming out of the kitchen tap. If you didn't notice them and boiled the water they would turn pink just like miniature bought shrimps. Don't know if they taste the same though.

Steve

[muscardinus]

Blimey. I'm partial to crustacea on occasion but that's a step too far! Our water supply does come that way so I'd better not tell the wife.