Strange, alien thing

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NachoBen
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Strange, alien thing

#1 Post by NachoBen » Wed Jun 08, 2022 9:31 pm

Neither a spore, nor a protozoa, a fungus, an invertebrate´s egg, a trichome, a cyst...

What is this? I suspect it could be some part of a freshwater plant or algae.

Thank you so much! It drives me crazy!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Hge3a6 ... sp=sharing

Greg Howald
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Re: Strange, alien thing

#2 Post by Greg Howald » Thu Jun 09, 2022 1:08 am

You appear to me to be in the midst of a diatom feeding frenzy eating something dead . But don't count on me. Others here know far more than I do and they will chime in.
:P. Greg

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NachoBen
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Re: Strange, alien thing

#3 Post by NachoBen » Thu Jun 09, 2022 7:32 am

Thank you. The point is that these structures are widely found in nearly all samples: central "foamy" core and radiating spikes. The spikes ("diatoms") don´t move and you never see their other tip. Closely observed, they don´t show any ornamentation or inner structures.

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Re: Strange, alien thing

#4 Post by NachoBen » Thu Jun 09, 2022 7:47 am

Moreover, sometimes you find them clustered inside what appears to be a broken capsule or membrana.

Hobbyst46
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Re: Strange, alien thing

#5 Post by Hobbyst46 » Thu Jun 09, 2022 7:55 am

Diatoms do not "feed" on other organisms or decaying matter. They synthesize their building materials from CO2 and sunlight, similar to other algae.
These thingies do not look like diatoms.

Bruce Taylor
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Re: Strange, alien thing

#6 Post by Bruce Taylor » Thu Jun 09, 2022 11:40 am

As Hobbyst46 says, the long, rigid structures are definitely not diatoms. I suspect they are spicules in a sponge gemmule. That's my best guess, anyway. :D I know nearly nothing about freshwater sponges.

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Re: Strange, alien thing

#7 Post by NachoBen » Fri Jun 10, 2022 5:43 pm

You are right, Bruce. A sponge specialist from the Institut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats in Majorca has just confirmed that the organism is a sponge gemmule.

However, we don't know the genus yet. Not to mention the species. I shall report it as soon as I know.

Thank you to you all.
Bruce Taylor wrote:
Thu Jun 09, 2022 11:40 am
As Hobbyst46 says, the long, rigid structures are definitely not diatoms. I suspect they are spicules in a sponge gemmule. That's my best guess, anyway. :D I know nearly nothing about freshwater sponges.

Bruce Taylor
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Re: Strange, alien thing

#8 Post by Bruce Taylor » Sat Jun 11, 2022 12:01 pm

Great! If you learn more about it, please keep us up to date. :)

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Re: Strange, alien thing

#9 Post by NachoBen » Sun Jun 19, 2022 6:17 pm

Fresh news from another sponge expert.

The thing has nothing to do with sponges, in fact it's a plant part. It is the aquatic fern Azolla filiculoides, which is an invasive species that unfortunately has spread throughout Spain in the last decade. It's easy to see it floating in ponds, creeks, streams, etc.

The structure is a microsporocarp and the "diatoms" are glochidia. Just Google "glochidia + fern".

Case closed. Thanks to you all.

Bruce Taylor
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Re: Strange, alien thing

#10 Post by Bruce Taylor » Mon Jun 20, 2022 11:48 pm

Aha! Case closed, indeed. :D Thanks for the update.

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