MicrobeHunter.com Microscopy Forum

I'm adding another post today since the primary point of the Campanella post was the interesting cilia motion that was "frozen" by using electronic flash. With this critter the cilia motion a a key attraction as well. This is a favorite creature for me. It is mesmerizing to watch when feeding, and the manner in which it builds its tube is fascinating.

These rotifers build beautiful little tubes of perfectly spherical "bricks". If you observe them you can see that they manufacture the bricks in a "socket" in the head. It starts as a small speck and is constantly and rapidly rotated as more and more detritus is added, building it in size. When the brick reaches proper size the rotifer extends up slightly and quickly but carefully attaches the new ball to the top edge of the tube. Here is a link to a video showing this process. The quality is rather poor , but it does provide a good look at how the rotifer adds another circular "brick" to it's tube
http://www.krebsmicro.com/videos/rotifer_flosc.wmv

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek first observed rotifers in 1674, which he described as “wheel animalcules.” When you see the cilia movement on Floscularia it really does look like a wheel turning. But up close it is the rhythmic whipping motion of the cilia that gives this impression.

Brilliant first image and intriguing video.

Seeing it create and place the "brick" is in a way shocking - it raises questions about where does one place such an animalcule on the sentience scale.

I've run out of superlatives.

Yep, your work just knocks me out to absolutely no end! And this is one of my favorite subject, along with Limnia rotifers which are very similar, but generally a bit smaller and build up colonies that look like trees.

This also reminds me I need to get back to studying up on employing electronic flask in photomicography. Thanks again for the lovely art and great inspiration Charles!

Excellent images as always! Thank you for sharing and the video is especially interesting! *EDIT* Would these just be found in good old fashioned pond goop or is there specific conditions that allow them to grow?

Kurt - At the weekend i attempted to adapt a flash unit to my setup, i purchased a relatively cheap flash off amazon (one that i didn't mind taking apart and frankensteining), everything was going extremely well up until i made contact with the capacitor...needless to say i ended my adventure shockingly quickly!

Fantastic video. I can see why you use it as your avatar (here). That building process is amazing.

I feel the world lost something when we stopped using the term animalcule, protozoan is surely less charming.

Excellent video & photos, another critter for me to pursue.

More beautiful images and information Charles. Thanks for posting.

Rod

c-Krebs, very nice but two questions; how does one set up a flash unit for a compound scope and when do we see new images?

I'm not complaining but your obvious skill makes us all want more

JimT

Please see my reply in Campanella umbellaria. Enough said.

Thank you for showing us such wonderful images.