2 marine diatoms

[75RR]

Plan 40x/0.65, DIC, 70µm length, 9 image stack in Photoshop
Plan 40x/0.65, DIC, 75µm diameter, 11 image stack in Photoshop
Planapo 63x/1.4, DIC, 75µm diameter, 13 image stack in Photoshop

Second and third image are of the same diatom

[Crater Eddie]

Great detail.
CE

[Hobbyst46]

Very nice display, 75RR. Thanks for posting. I will look for those two types in my own cleaned batch collected last week...

[ImperatorRex]

Thanks for sharing this nice photos 75RR

[desertrat]

Great images. There are so many professional quality images being posted here by many members. It's obvious why DIC is the illumination method of choice for microscopic aquatic life.

[75RR]

Thanks Crater Eddie, Hobbyst46, ImperatorRex and desertrat
Quite nice seeing something different in most samples.

It's obvious why DIC is the illumination method of choice for microscopic aquatic life.

Keep meaning to use phase, only never seem to get around to it. Downside of DIC I suppose.

[mrsonchus]

Extraordinary detail 75'! Superb images, detail-enough to make your eyes bleed!

More fantastic work 75', thanks for sharing.

John B.

[billbillt]

Man, those are superb!.. DIC always seems to come through...

[vasselle]

Bonjour
Très belles images.
Merci pour le partage
Cordialement seb

[75RR]

Thanks mrsonchus, billbillt and vasselle

Anyone think it could be Actinocyclus sp. ?

Have it on a list of diatoms in the Med

https://westerndiatoms.colorado.edu/tax ... _normanii/

[Charles]

Beautiful live diatoms.

The first is an Amphora obtusa and I think you are right on the second as being Actinocyclus.

[75RR]

Thanks Charles :) + thanks for the ID

[billbillt]

Great images. There are so many professional quality images being posted here by many members. It's obvious why DIC is the illumination method of choice for microscopic aquatic life.

I heartily agree with you assessment of DIC.. If only it was not so expensive!..

BillT

[desertrat]

Great images. There are so many professional quality images being posted here by many members. It's obvious why DIC is the illumination method of choice for microscopic aquatic life.

I heartily agree with you assessment of DIC.. If only it was not so expensive!..

BillT

Yup, not in my hobby budget. I'll be trying various oblique methods. Vasselle recently posted an algae image with Mathias arrow illumination that looks promising.

[billbillt]

Great images. There are so many professional quality images being posted here by many members. It's obvious why DIC is the illumination method of choice for microscopic aquatic life.

I heartily agree with you assessment of DIC.. If only it was not so expensive!..

BillT

Yup, not in my hobby budget. I'll be trying various oblique methods. Vasselle recently posted an algae image with Mathias arrow illumination that looks promising.

Yes, I have seen some really good oblique setups that mimic DIC.. But it is not true DIC, even though it is hard to convince a few folks of that fact..

BillT

[billbillt]

I heartily agree with you assessment of DIC.. If only it was not so expensive!..

BillT

Yup, not in my hobby budget. I'll be trying various oblique methods. Vasselle recently posted an algae image with Mathias arrow illumination that looks promising.

Yes, I have seen some really good oblique setups that mimic DIC.. But it is not true DIC, even though it is hard to convince a few folks of that fact..

BillT

I will be looking forward to your results...

[coominya]

Second and third image are of the same diatom

Good imaging 75RR. If the 2nd and 3rd are the same diatom, why do they look so different?

[charlie g]

Thanks for these beautiful live diatom images. How do you collect your water samples? How do you then pipet from that collection jar...a random slurp...or do you 'hunt' for specific zones in the sample? I love you shared images 75RR. Charlie guevara

[75RR]

Thanks coominya and charlie g

If the 2nd and 3rd are the same diatom, why do they look so different?

First image was taken using a Plan 40x/0.65 objective which is dry. The second image was taken using a Planapo 63x/1.4, which is an oil objective with a ridiculously small WD (working distance).
I believe I must have pressed down on the cover slip at some point which then pressed down on the diatom, causing the rearrangement of the chloroplasts.

How do you then pipet from that collection jar...a random slurp...or do you 'hunt' for specific zones in the sample?

I take fairly random slurps with a pipette, just tend to look for differing areas. One thing I do is wait a little for the sediments ( I try to pick up as few as possible) to accumulate at the bottom of the pipette.
With algae, when I can, I grab them with tweezers. I use two with which I separate and place the thinnest strand possible on the slide, I often have to put a drop of water on the slide first so it will stay on it.
Once under the microscope this thin strand inevitably consists of multiple ones, but at least it is then not too crowded in there.

It might take a bit of scrolling to find something, but when I do it is usually accessible.

[coominya]

I believe I must have pressed down on the cover slip at some point which then pressed down on the diatom, causing the rearrangement of the chloroplasts.

So in layman's terms, you squished it

[75RR]

So in layman's terms, you squished it :lol:

:) :) :)