▁Category : Associ ation ▁football ▁mid field ers <0x0A> </s> ▁Hy ale lla ▁az te ca ▁is ▁a ▁w ides p read ▁and ▁abund ant ▁species ▁of ▁am ph ip od ▁cr ust ace an ▁in ▁North ▁America . ▁It ▁reaches ▁ ▁long , ▁and ▁is ▁found ▁in ▁a ▁range ▁of ▁fresh ▁and ▁bra ck ish ▁waters . ▁It ▁fe eds ▁on ▁alg ae ▁and ▁di at oms ▁and ▁is ▁a ▁major ▁food ▁of ▁water f ow l . ▁ ▁Description ▁Hy ale lla ▁az te ca ▁grows ▁to ▁a ▁length ▁of ▁, ▁with ▁males ▁being ▁larger ▁than ▁females . ▁Their ▁colour ▁is ▁variable , ▁but ▁the ▁most ▁frequent ▁h ues ▁are ▁white , ▁green ▁and ▁brown . ▁ ▁Distribution ▁Hy ale lla ▁az te ca ▁is ▁found ▁across ▁Central ▁America , ▁the ▁Car ib bean ▁and ▁North ▁America , ▁as ▁far ▁north ▁as ▁the ▁Ar ctic ▁tree ▁line . ▁It ▁lives ▁among ▁veget ation ▁in ▁permanent ▁bodies ▁of ▁fresh water , ▁including ▁la kes ▁and ▁rivers , ▁extending ▁into ▁tid al ▁fresh ▁water , ▁and ▁fresh water ▁bar rier ▁l ago ons . ▁It ▁is ▁" the ▁most ▁abund ant ▁am ph ip od ▁of ▁la kes ▁[ in ▁North ▁America ] ", ▁with ▁golf ▁course ▁p onds ▁sometimes ▁supporting ▁large ▁populations . ▁ ▁E col ogy ▁In ▁contrast ▁to ▁other ▁species ▁of ▁Hy ale lla , ▁H . ▁az te ca ▁is ▁extremely ▁common ▁and ▁has ▁wide ▁e colog ical ▁toler ances . ▁It ▁can ▁toler ate ▁al kal ine ▁waters