Rotifer: Squatinella rostrum

[Luis Carlos]

[Javier]

Just, WOW!

I really enjoyed this one. Thanks for sharing!

[ImperatorRex]

Hi Luis, a very interesting and also educational video. Thanks for sharing.

[75RR]

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Great quality video + instructive as usual

[Francisco]

Very nice.

[Luis Carlos]

Thanks for your comments

[Adam Long]

Luis this is superb, one of my favourite rotifers to watch and thankfully quite common in my samples. How do you get the background so clean?

[Luis Carlos]

Thanks Adam. I carefully select the sample with the help of a micropipette and an stereo microscope

[KurtM]

Should anyone care to elaborate on the retrocerebral organ, I would be happy to hear it. I tried a brief search, but in truth I have little time for it just now but would still like to learn a bit more.

PS: Squatinella is an old favorite of mine too, such an interesting character to happen across in a pond sample!

[Luis Carlos]

Rotifers have a small brain, located just above the mastax, from which a number of nerves extend throughout the body. The number of nerves varies among species, although the nervous system usually has a simple layout. Close to the brain lies a retrocerebral organ, consisting of two glands either side of a medial sac. The sac drains into a duct that divides into two before opening through pores on the uppermost part of the head. The function of the retrocerebral organ is unclear.
Robert Lee Wallace. "Rotifers: Exquisite Metazoans". 2002. doi: 10.1093/icb/42.3.660 quote: "What is the function of the retrocerebral organ?"