Zooplankton are small (<5 mm) aquatic animals that feed on algae and bacteria in freshwater systems, which in turn provide food for aquatic insects and small fish.
Pictured is a water flea, Daphnia geleata.
Photo by Barry O’Brien from Duggan et al. 2006 with permission of Taylor & Francis Ltd. Sourced from Te Reo o Te Repo – The Voice of the Wetland.