About Gammarus pulex (Linnaeus, 1758)
Description: Adult male Gammarus pulex can reach a total length of 21 millimetres (0.83 in), while adult females only grow to 14 mm (0.55 in). Adult Gammarus pulex have a robust build, and are typically greyish with dark brown or green markings. Members of the protozoan genus Dendrocometes are known parasites that live on the gills of G. pulex. Distribution: Gammarus pulex is distributed across most of Europe, ranging from the Volga drainage in the east to the British Isles in the west. It is not naturally found in Norway, parts of Scotland, and Ireland, but it was introduced to Lough Neagh in Ireland in the 1950s, where it is currently displacing the native species Gammarus duebeni.
