MicrobeHunter.com Microscopy Forum

I found an interesting specimen yesterday. I think it might be an Actinosphaerium capturing but finally releasing a flagellate (some kind of Euglenoid, I think). I speeded up the part of the video when the flagellate touches the cell membrane of the Heliozoo. Many technical details went wrong when shooting the video, but I find the register interesting nevertheless.

Video details:

Amscope b120 and iPhone 5s. DF 100 and 200 x. BF 400x.

Regards,
Javier.

Nice video. This is so cinematic, it has a Star Wars vibe. I particularly like from 0:35 with the slow advancing Heliozoa (how did you do it, was it moving by itself?). Very dramatic

Thank you!

The specimen was moving itself. Note, though, that that section is speeded up to 4x, therefore the movement is more evident.

It is kind of dramatic indeed. It might make a good candidate for my little Micro Music project.

Or Star Trek: 'fascinating'

Well done!

Very pretty! It does look like Actinosphaerium.

Very nice

Many thanks, Bruce, Lomonaut, and Francisco for your feedback!

Amazing images.How bjg was that thing?

Thank you, Don.

The specimen was really big, but I can't estimate its size. I got to getter better on that subject!

Very cool! I saw an interesting specimen the other day - a little sphere full of green stuff. It didn't look like any algae I had seen and, sure enough, when I switched to oil immersion, I could see the signature axopodia of a heliozoan. Looks like its primary diet was algae or photosynthetic bacteria. I haven't seen any this big, though, nor have I actually seen one eat anything! Great footage.

josmann wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 19, 2021 12:28 am

Very cool! I saw an interesting specimen the other day - a little sphere full of green stuff. It didn't look like any algae I had seen and, sure enough, when I switched to oil immersion, I could see the signature axopodia of a heliozoan. Looks like its primary diet was algae or photosynthetic bacteria. I haven't seen any this big, though, nor have I actually seen one eat anything! Great footage.

Cool! Note, though, that some colonial algae are rounded and each alga has flagella to move around. They look like tinny dancing tentacles moving around the algae.

Nicely documented!

Thank you, Wes. I find that, despite the humble equipment or technique, microscopy offers, even to the newbies, chances to document interesting events.

Javier wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 20, 2021 1:18 pm

Thank you, Wes. I find that, despite the humble equipment or technique, microscopy offers, even to the newbies, chances to document interesting events.

Absolutely agree! Sure fancy equipment might produce some interesting results but in the end its the specimen and its preparation that count the most. If I had to choose one technique that doesn't set you back hundreds or even thousands of dollars/euro/whatever I'd say its darkfield, really nice for pond life as you nicely show here.

Yes, DF is very beautiful!