Coleps feasting on a rotifer egg
Coleps feasting on a rotifer egg
Coleps is a genus of predatory ciliates that feed on bacteria, algae, other protists (dead and alive) as well as animal and plant tissues. Here you can see one Coleps specimen feeding on what I believe is a rotifer egg. If you look closely you can follow the path of egg particles making their way to a digestive vacuole inside the Coleps. Interestingly around the 0:15 mark you can also see the calcium carbonate scales that form Coleps' armour.
Technical details:
Differential interference contrast with a 25x/0,65 Planapo objective, 2x Optovar magnification on a Zeiss Phomi III microscope. Camera is Canon 50D configured for afocal projection with 40 mm pancake lens coupled to a 10x/18 Kpl-W eyepiece.
Technical details:
Differential interference contrast with a 25x/0,65 Planapo objective, 2x Optovar magnification on a Zeiss Phomi III microscope. Camera is Canon 50D configured for afocal projection with 40 mm pancake lens coupled to a 10x/18 Kpl-W eyepiece.
Zeiss Photomicroscope III BF/DF/Pol/Ph/DIC/FL/Jamin-Lebedeff
Youtube channel
Youtube channel
Re: Coleps feasting on a rotifer egg
Nice catch and wonderful video, Wes!
The detail of the armour is great. I also liked a lot the big Paramecium. Why is it so shiny? Did you use also polarized illumination?
The detail of the armour is great. I also liked a lot the big Paramecium. Why is it so shiny? Did you use also polarized illumination?
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Re: Coleps feasting on a rotifer egg
Wow Wes. You did a good job with that.
Re: Coleps feasting on a rotifer egg
Thank you Javier and Greg.
I use DIC which relies on polarized light.
Zeiss Photomicroscope III BF/DF/Pol/Ph/DIC/FL/Jamin-Lebedeff
Youtube channel
Youtube channel
Re: Coleps feasting on a rotifer egg
Nice video, Wes. Also appreciate the technical details you included.
Re: Coleps feasting on a rotifer egg
Great stuff Wes. The 25x Planapo is my favourite objective - do you have the dedicated DIC slider or are you using a different one?
Re: Coleps feasting on a rotifer egg
Thank you Tim and Adam
I also like it a lot, it provides a great compromise between magnification, resolution and spherical aberration. I use the slider for the 6,3x plan-achromat which works but not perfectly as you can see from the background gradient.
Zeiss Photomicroscope III BF/DF/Pol/Ph/DIC/FL/Jamin-Lebedeff
Youtube channel
Youtube channel