water flea

noun

1. any of various small crustaceans that move about in the water like fleas, as those of the genus Daphnia.

water flea

noun

1. any of numerous minute freshwater branchiopod crustaceans of the order Cladocera, which swim by means of hairy branched antennae See also daphnia

Word History and Origins

Origin of water flea¹

First recorded in 1575–85

Example Sentences

The foot clings to a surface underwater — a plant or a rock, perhaps — and the mouth, ringed with tentacles, ensnares passing water fleas.

From Quanta Magazine

The spiny water flea has been latching onto fishing equipment, traveling the Great Lakes for decades, but now they are being transported to some of the most pristine waters in the Upper Midwest.

From Popular-Science

Spiny water fleas also bring a million-dollar public recreation problem.

From Popular-Science

Like most damaging invasive species, spiny water fleas reproduce rapidly.

From Popular-Science

I have already spoken of the fresh-water shrimp and the water-flea (Daphnia pulex).

From Project Gutenberg

In short, she was a branchiopod, to be vulgarly precise, a water-flea.

From Project Gutenberg

The water-flea, Daphnia (a crustacean), lays two kinds of eggs known as “summer” and “winter” eggs.

From Project Gutenberg