The nauplius is the most primitive crustacean larval type found in existing crustaceans. It is the first larval stage that emerges from the egg and the earliest free-swimming phase in crustacean development. It usually has an oval shaped body, three pairs of appendages, and a single median light sensitive eye near the front. In terms of sheer numbers, the crustacean (copepod) nauplius is considered by some to be the most abundant type of multi-cellular animal on earth and is an important food source for fish and predatory invertebrates.

This is an excellent picture of a Cyclops. The name Cyclops comes from the Latin and the Greek, and contrary to common belief, does not mean "a single eye." It's true meaning is "circular (cycl) eye (op)." .

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