Water Louse Asellus Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Crustacea Order: Isopoda	Water Louse This animal is closely related to the land-dwelling wood louse (which is found on land). However, the water louse has a flatter body, which is an adaptation to living in water. The flat body helps the louse to avoid being washed away in the current. Fourteen legs show that they are different from spiders (which have 8 legs) and insects (which have 6 legs).
	Habitat	They are found in fresh water such as ponds, lakes or slow moving rivers.
	Moving around	It has 7 pairs of thin legs and moves by crawling or climbing among the weeds.
	Feeding	They eat: detritus. The water louse eats detritus (dead plant and animal material) and has four pairs of jaws. They are eaten by: water mites and other carnivores.
	Reproduction	The water louse carries its eggs and young on its tummy. The baby water lice look just like a smaller version of their parents.
	Breathing	It has five pairs of gills, which are, in fact, 5 pairs of abdominal limbs, modified for breathing. It absorbs dissolved oxygen from the surrounding water, through these gills.
	Size	20 mm
	Fun Fact	Its close relative, the wood louse, is one of just a few land-based crustaceans in the world.