Moina

Moina is a genus of crustaceans within the family Moinidae,^[3]^[4] which are part of the group referred to as water fleas; they are related to the larger-bodied Daphnia species such as Daphnia magna and Daphnia pulex, though not closely.^[5] This genus was first described by W. Baird in 1850.

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Moina demonstrates the ability to survive in habitats with adverse biological conditions, that being waters containing low oxygen levels and of a high salinity and other impurities; these habitats include salt pans but also eutrophic water bodies.^[6] An example of such an extreme habitat is the highly saline Makgadikgadi Pans of Botswana, which supports prolific numbers of Moina belli.^[7] The genus is also known from bodies of water across Eurasia, where research indicated previously unknown species diversity in Northern Eurasia, including Japan and China;^[8] the newly described groups includes a number of phylogroups were discovered from Northern Eurasia, 4 new Moina species from Japan, and five new lineages in China. According to genetic data, the genus Moina is divided into two genetic lineages: the European-Western Siberian and Eastern Siberian-Far Eastern, with a transitional zone at the Yenisei River basin of Eastern Siberia.^[9]^[10]

At least 4 species of Moina are known to have been introduced to non-native waterways.^[11]

Species