The Amazing Adventures of Debbie Daphnia and her sidekick Betty Bosmina
Debbie the DaphniaNot just any water flea!


This is Debbie. Debbie is a Daphnia.  That means she is a small freshwater crustacean who eats algae and lives in lakes.  Some people call her a water flea, but she thinks that's a bit insulting. Debbie has a bunch of identical sisters who participate in lots of fun experiments in the Schulz lab at SUNY ESF and don't really mind being called water fleas. 

Debbie used to live in a glass house in a very comfortable room where the temperature was just right.  People came into the room every day and fed her and her sisters delicious algae (yum).  From her house, Debbie could see another house filled with her cousins, Bosmina.  The people who came and fed Debbie each day sometimes called the Bosmina 'elephant fleas,' because they look like miniature elephants.  Debbie wasn't sure if that insulted the Bosmina or not.  In the Bosmina house lived Betty the Bosmina, Debbie's best friend. 

Betty the Bosmina(Doesn't really mind being called an elephant flea, but don't tell Debbie!)

One day Debbie decided that she was bored living in her glass house in the lab.  Betty agreed that she would like to see more of the world.  Their sisters thought they were crazy, but Betty and Debbie decided to ask the people in the Schulz lab if they could travel.  "Of course" agreed the Schulz lab inhabitants, "we'd be happy to let you see the world! But, you have to make a travel log of your trips and post it on our website," and ever since the Schulz lab people have been taking Debbie (and sometimes Betty) along on their adventures.