Bug/Nymph ID?

[AtticaFish]

My small mud puddle of a pond has been very murky and muddy this year which is unusual since there is very little run-off or feeding water. Had been looking into possible algea blooms and ways to chemical treat it..... but this afternoon i was out sitting by shore and noticed LOTS (thousands if not more) of little holes in the muck. As i was looking around i noticed some of the holes would occasionaly 'erupt' mud out of them!!!?!?!?

So i got out the shovel! and pulled these out of the mud! I am about 90% sure of what they are, but it seems awful late for so many to be around. Someone please confirm my thoughts and tell me what they are. With so many of these down in the mud, i really believe they are the culprit as to why my water is staying so muddied up this year. I am betting these would make some good bait too! haha

...and a little more zoomed in and close-up pic...

 

[toadfrog]

Around here they are called silver fish . Don't know the true nomenclature for them.

 

[quivira kid]

Look like hex nymphs to me! The hatch around here has been a little delayed this year...

 

[Jig Man]

I bet something will eat em....

 

[AtticaFish]

jjsjigs - Ah, but you are talking about 2 different bugs! Just learned that a few minutes ago -haha!!! I started digging through the net and have learned that damsel and dragon flies are actually 2 different things. Half the fun of the outdoors for me is trying to learn and figure out what the heck i am looking at..... i am still learning.

My original thought was that they were Hex's (mayflies) but late! Things were delayed by a cold/wet spring but they have 'mostly' hatched in my area. My '90% sure' of what they are is now a 50/50 between the damsel and hex. :huh: They look closer to the damsel nymph... BUT ...by what i read the damsel nymph is an active carnivourous feeder and the hex nymph feeds on algea and often burrows into the bottom. Too close for me to figure out without seeing one of each side by side!

JJ'S & QK - do you have a way of telling one from the other?

 

[quivira kid]

I double checked in my "Fishbugs" book! LOL

Size, color, the burrowing in the mud, and the gills made me think Hex. Damsels don't have the pronounced gills... just a long slim body!

In the end, it's just all my very uneducated opinion!