This work provides a user-friendly, species level taxonomic key based on morphology, current nomenclature, and modern taxonomy using molecular tools which fulfill the most pressing needs of both researchers and environmental managers. This key arms the reader with the tools necessary to improve their species identification abilities. This book resolves another issue as well: the mix of female and male characters used in keys to the calanoid copepods. Often, during the identification process, both calanoid copepod sexes are not available, and the user of such a key is stuck with an uncertain identification. Here, separate male and female keys to the calanoid copepods are provided for both the genera and species levels.

The influence of Bernard Dussart's contributions to limnology in general as well as to freshwater copepodology in particular can hardly be overestimated. From 1945 until his decease late 2008, he has devoted more than 60 years of his life to studying freshwater bodies and their inhabitants. Next to his 200+ scientific papers, his frequent travels brought him all over the world, where he invariably left an inheritage of enhanced interest in problems of freshwater biology and management. The contributions in this book show the progress of research on the Copepoda found in continental waters and in part continue along the lines B. Dussart has set out: a worthy tribute to one of the very nestors of copepodology of fresh waters.