Sunday 27 October 2013

Microscope Pond Specimens

Useful links:
www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/index.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/pond/
http://www.micromagus.net/index1.html

Daphne (Water Flea) sp.
from filter beds beside pond-dipping platform

28/10/2013
also see:
Water Flea (intact) 2013-11-04

Gastrotrich and food item
from filter beds beside pond-dipping platform

28/10/2013
This micro-beastie is some sort of Gastrotrich! - ID step one complete! It's an aquatic worm.
Kingdom: Animalia, Protostomia, Spiralia
Superphylum: Platyzoa
Phylum: Gastrotricha
Orders Chaetonotida and Macrodasyida (765 spp. in 14 families - 7 in each Order)

Presence of lateral "double tail" (furca) means it's Order Chaetonotidae (link). The furca seem to be used to anchor to the bottom. At least in the image above they were - note the ends are deeper and not in focus.

I have since found another gastrotrich, but it seemed to be smaller and was more of the russian doll type body shape

Encyc of Life
wiki

Unknown A
from filter beds beside pond-dipping platform. Several of these have been seen, typically appearing to graze on clumps of vegetation. The long end pointing down in both photos is the front!


Unknown B
Some kind of aquatic worm I'm supposing. Swam with its rear end not extended (pic 2), but then seemed to anchor with it (pic 1). Vibrating cilia at the mouth (fat) end




Unknown C
I think this isn't the same as Unknown B, but I'm not 100% sure yet. It was quite a shape shifter, but always appeared to keep at least a basic bell form rather than the trumpet appearance of this one. Again appears to be some kind of aquatic worm.



Unknown D
Definitely a different critter, this one! Arachnid? The mouthpart mark resolved to a red "X" when focus was in the right place. Like many of the bigger creatures where focus placed really affected how it looked. It was hard to get enough of it in focus to present an overall picture



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