Story: Life in fresh water

Midge larva (4th of 6)

Midge larva

The presence of an organism can be used as an indicator of water quality. Scientists in New Zealand have devised a scale from 1 to 10 to indicate an organism’s sensitivity to water quality. On the scale, 1 equates to a high tolerance of pollution (very poor water). At the other end, 10 equates to a high sensitivity to pollution (pristine water). Midge larvae (Chironomus species) are at 1 on the scale: they tolerate a range of conditions including very poor water quality.

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Photograph by Stephen Moore

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How to cite this page:

Roger Young, 'Life in fresh water - Invertebrates', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/11632/midge-larva (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Roger Young, published 24 Sep 2007