More Oblique and a New Find

[rnabholz]

More playing around with Oblique and the discovery of a very cool unidentified "thing".

AO Series 4, 90x and 45x Apo, home made oblique mask, Canon 70D, Single Frames

Cocconeis 41µm

Buckroe Beach Cocconeis Oblique 4644.JPG (70.69 KiB) Viewed 6578 times

Centric 39µm

Buckroe Beach Centric Oblique 4671.JPG (89.3 KiB) Viewed 6578 times

Pleurosigma 80µm Tip to Center

Buckroe Beach Pleurosigma Oblique 4649.JPG (103.8 KiB) Viewed 6578 times

Centric 36µm

Buckroe Beach Centric Oblique 4703.JPG (95.63 KiB) Viewed 6578 times

And now for the New Thing. I do believe this to be a diatom as I think I have seen it referenced somewhere, but cannot find that reference now of course. This was taken with the 43x objective and measured 150µm. What a cool form! This was taken in straight brightfield.

Mystery 150µm

Buckroe Beach Mystery 4641.JPG (60.41 KiB) Viewed 6578 times

[KurtM]

I can't get over how good those images are - not only great detail, but aesthetically, just plain eye candy. The centrics are especially great in this set, although the Pleurosigma has startling qualities too. Cocconeis is always a spectacular beauty, but so common it gets tough to appreciate it sometimes, kind of like a Blue Jay to birders. I just cleaned a sample today that apparently had a Cocconeis bloom in progress, just zillions of 'em.

That UFO is exceedingly cool too. Yes, definitely a diatom, that was the first thing that popped into my head when I saw it. Wow, good work scanning those slides! That's from Buckroe Beach, right?

(UFO = Unidentified Frustule Oddity)

[Charles]

Nicely imaged Rod.

That last UFO is an Odontella.

[rnabholz]

Thanks much Kurt.

Yes, these are from Buckroe Beach.

Agree about Cocconeis, they dominated more than a few of my samples from last summer. I think they tend to gather on vegetation, and I was big on gathering samples from vegetation.

The other centrics are showing some structure to keep things interesting.

The UFO was a thrill to find. It amazes me that it survives cleaning and mounting basically intact. Very cool!

[rnabholz]

Nicely imaged Rod.

That last UFO is an Odontella.

Hey Charles,

Thank for the comment, the sample, and the ID!

[KurtM]

...Cocconeis ... I think they tend to gather on vegetation...

That is correct. I'll never forget seeing them in living sample form for the first time, where staggering numbers of them literally coated every strand of vegetation! I'll always be glad I took some pictures of them on that occasion (April 2016, San Saba River near Fort McKavett, Texas). One pair of images as follows: in straight DIC, and the other with the compensator plate to further enhance contrast.

[hkv]

Beautiful images! Very nice 3D effect in most of them!

[rnabholz]

Kurt,

Now that you mention it, I think you taught me that, possibly with those images.

Thanks,

Rod

[rnabholz]

Beautiful images! Very nice 3D effect in most of them!

Thanks very much hkv.

[rnabholz]

One more from the session

Centric 32µm

Buckroe Beach Centric Oblique 4686.JPG (66.36 KiB) Viewed 6505 times

[Rylander]

Hi Rod, we can be a little more precise about your UFO, it is Odentella mobiliensis that you have found.

Nice images

Rylander

[rnabholz]

Excellent Rylander, thank you.

[KurtM]

May I ask what diagnostic indicators you guys (Charles and Rylander) are using for this one (Odentella)? I'm having trouble here...

[Rylander]

Hello KurtM, I have used this norwegian flora: Norsk Kystplankton Flora, to determining the species, you can get an English version.
http://www.nhbs.com/title/157807/phytop ... tal-waters

Rylander

[gekko]

Some more "WOW" kind of images!