Volvox

[tlansing]

To see Volvox in nature is a special treat. I have been sampling from a small pond in which I have found this colonial alga, something that I can't remember having seen in nature previously. The photos below show a Volvox containing daughter colonies inside the mother colony, the first a darkfield view and the second using DIC.

Darkfield.JPG (94.86 KiB) Viewed 2330 times

DIC.jpg (134.74 KiB) Viewed 2330 times

An interesting observation was of the formation of two new daughter colonies. A daughter colony which must have recently escaped from a mother colony showed the beginnings of two new daughter colonies. The photos show a new daughter at a one cell stage and the second shows a new daughter at the two cell stage. The nuclei are clearly visible in both. In the second photo, some of the cells of the mother colony are in focus and the connections between these cells can be seen.

New daughter 1.JPG (45.82 KiB) Viewed 2330 times

New daughter 2.jpg (52.09 KiB) Viewed 2330 times

[Microscopy_is_fun]

Very nice pictures! I have been looking for volvox many times, but unfortunately never found any.

[tlansing]

Thanks and keep looking

[dtsh]

Nice find and great images. Volvox is one I'm hoping to find someday, but the closest I've gotten is Synura.

[charlie g]

Thanks for sharing your Volvox encounter.. Like a lot of microscopists, I have hoped to encounter free-living native Volvox..never have. Where is this specimen from, where on our globe are you? Again, thank you. charlie g

[Wes]

Quite interesting to see the nucleus of the 1 and 2 cell daughter colonies. I only catch volvox every 5-10 years and I've only seen it 3 times.

[tlansing]

@dtsh, @Wes: thanks for your comments!
@charlie g: Thanks for your comment. I live in the Raleigh area of NC. The pond where I found this Volvox is in a part near where I live. I only recently found this pond and it seems to be full of many interesting protists and algae. I would really like to see Didinium in nature...someday

[Javier]

Very interesting and beautiful!

Thanks for sharing.

[LouiseScot]

Cool!

Louise

[richbart]

Great pics. I have yet to see one in person.