Identification key for the orders and families of Cladocera

1a Six pairs of foliaceous thoracic appendages,morphologically similar.....................................................................................Order Ctenopoda Sars,1865 (2)

1b Five or six pairs of thoracic appendages,morphologically distinct........................................................................................Order Anomopoda Sars,1865 (3)

2a Antenna with one branch,without lateral setae .................................................................................................................. Holopedidae Sars,1865 (Fig.1A)

2b Antenna with two branches,external branch (exopodite) with numerous lateral setae.............................................................. Sididae Baird,1850 (Fig.1B)

3a Antennule non-movable,fused with rostrum................................................................................................................... Bosminidae Baird,1845 (Fig.1 C-D)

3b Antennule movable,not fused with rostrum......................................................................................................................................................................... 4

4a Antennule with two segments................................................................................................. Ilyocryptidae Smirnov 1976 emend. Smirnov,1992 (Fig.1 E-F)

4b Antennule not segmented..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5

5a Postanal part of postabdomen narrow and conical,distalmost marginal denticle generally bifurcate ................................. Moinidae Baird,1850 (Fig.1 G-H)

5b Postanal part of postabdomen not conical ............................................................................................................................................................................6

6a Internal branch (endopodite) of antenna with four segments and external branch (exopodite) with three segments.......................................................... 7

6b Antenna with three segments on the internal (endopodite) and external branches (exopodite)...........................................................................................8

7a Antennule inserted or articulated on the posteroventral part of head.................................................................................. Daphniidae Straus,1820 (Fig.1I)

7b Antennule articulated on the anteroventral part of head ............................................................................... Macrothricidae Norman & Brady,1867 (Fig. 1J)

8a Anal aperture positioned in the distal part of postabdomen........................................ Eurycercidae Kurz,1865 sensu Dumont & Silva-Briano,1998 (Fig.1K)

8b Anal aperture positioned in the dorsal margin of postabdomen ................................. Chydoridae Dybowski & Grochowski,1894 emend. Frey,1967 (Fig.1L)