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| | Welcome to our newest member, Ye Olde Justin | |  | 
03-12-2011, 07:12 PM
|  | Officer of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Hull
Posts: 783
| | | Water slaters, how can you tell them apart?
I have some water slaters at home in a tank, and as far as I know there is Asellus aquaticus (native) and Proasellus meridianus (introduced and invasive), how can I tell them apart?
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03-12-2011, 08:41 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 1,193
| | | Re: Water slaters, how can you tell them apart?
Easiest reply is to look at the top of the head. Asellus aquaticus has a black "E" shaped mark on its head with a central black stripe. In A.meridianus (also a native species and not "invasive") the central black stripe is missing so you just have a black border to the top of the head.
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Last edited by Matt Smith; 03-12-2011 at 08:43 PM.
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03-12-2011, 09:02 PM
| | Officer of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Hull
Posts: 783
| | | Re: Water slaters, how can you tell them apart?
Thank you for the quick answer. I found a few papers and jumped to conclusions, as Proasellus meridianus is regarded as invasive in Belgium and Holland, claimed to come from Southern Europe, so I assumed it would be invasive here as well.
Here is a shot, if I interpreted correctly your description I think it should be Asellus aquaticus. 
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03-12-2011, 11:17 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 1,193
| | | Re: Water slaters, how can you tell them apart?
Your photo is of A.aquaticus. The FBA key makes no mention of A.meridianus being "non native" and I normally find A.aquaticus to be the most frequent species here by far.
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04-12-2011, 12:46 PM
| | Officer of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Hull
Posts: 783
| | | Re: Water slaters, how can you tell them apart?
Hi Matt, Thanks a lot for the ID and for checking status. Note taken! 
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