Winter stream hike to collect Gammerus amphipod crusteaceans

[coominya]

A lovely rambling thread of your spring exploits Charlie, I didn't know this was down here and will pop back when I don't have to go out the door to work. I love that black cat in the first pic, closest to the fire, they're not stupid.

[Hobbyst46]

@Charlie

If you do not mind me asking - what species is the bird behind the tree in photo DSCN4541.JPG? I have seen many such birds and never knew it. Thanks in advance.

[charlie g]

Hi, hobbyist46 ( where do you reside? I'm finger lakes/US)...the bird upright , with the rust red breast is a: Robin/ Turdis migratorius (?sp?), the twisted to ground blue colored bird (he was pecking at something in the ground when I made the image capture)...this blue colored bird with rust red breast is an: Eastern Blue bird..I thinks it is honored as our NY STATE US : state bird!

There is lots of terrific microscopy of these birds 'droppings', the Blue Birds nest parasites! thanks for asking! Charlie guevara

[charlie g]

Quite obviously illustrated in my: Kudo's 5th ed Protozoology...I have ID'd the new to me epibionts I foung on the Gammerus gill-plates!

The organisms are suctorian protozoans...Genus: Dendrocometes, probably D. paradoxus, I love that name!!

John O.Corliss ( a great protozoologist) refers to these as: " the hatrack suctorians". As far back as 1911 Encyclopedia Britanica, these suctorians are noted as: "so commonly found on freshwater gammerids."!

Because of their location as epibionts ( epizoics) on the gammerid gill-plates...well this Spring'18, I will look for these suctorians on the gills of our common stream crayfish.

I still have not configured a means to stabilize gammerrids to observe their 'new to me' epizoic rotifers.


Thank you Dr. Richard Roksabro Kudo for the fantastic book you edited through many editions! Charlie Guevara 'the hat rack suctorian' indeed!

[Hobbyst46]

...( where do you reside? I'm finger lakes/US)...the bird upright , with the rust red breast is a: Robin/ Turdis migratorius (?sp?) Charlie guevara

Hi Charlie, I awfully apologize for late responding, your explanation of April 6th escaped my vision! Thanks a lot. I reside in Israel, but have spent several weeks in Ohio, where on the lawns and bushes along creeks, among townhouses, the birds like the one in your photo DSCN4541.JPG were plentiful. So they are Robins. I often tried to photograph them from close by, but they refused...

[charlie g]

By sheer patience, I finally managed a few image captures of the epizoic rotifers attached to Gammerus gill-plates...yes, yes!

As with the 'new to me' epizoic suctorian ( termed: 'the hat rack suctorian' by eminent protozoologist, John Corliss), well these epizoic rotifers are a delightful 'new to me' tribe of rotifers.

I'm with a sense that one has to utilize extremely specialized resources to ID just what Genus/ species these rotifers are members of.

Please note how these rotifers are attached in a grouping, and rather close together. With my 'sample of one encounter'...I wonder if these groupings are deliberate?

Most notably...these Gammerus have been at my bench collection of culture jars for over a week...ideally I should quest for these epizoics in fresh after collection gammerids. Charlie Guevara, Spring'18