A few more hydra

[Crater Eddie]

This is a new sample collected yesterday from the same pond as the previous hydra sample. The container here is a one gallon pickle jar... keep that in mind for scale. I like this photo, because I count at least 8 hydra in it (and one snail).





This hydra has a bud that looks close to splitting off. Not including the tentacles, this one is about 4mm long.





This fellow must have realized he was being photographed, he struck the perfect pose and held it for quite a while. He also measured about 4mm long, excluding the tentacles. This is the same one as seen in the first photo, upper left.

CE

[75RR]

I must need more practice, can only see 3 in the first photo.
Wonderful last photo, like how to holds out the tentacles.
The budding looks interesting as well.
Great xmas project!

[gekko]

Wonderful images (especially the last two)! If you can, please keep at it, as your images are getting better I think, despite the very unfavorable optical conditions. Amazing creatures!

[einman]

I agree. Great photos. I had not realized how large the little guys get.

[rnabholz]

Hey Eddie - what a catch you got in this jar!

I am envious.

Keep sharing the photos please.

Rod

[mrsonchus]

These are great! Give us more!

[Crater Eddie]

I'm glad y'all are enjoying the hydra. I am having a real hoot with it.
After I transferred the first sample to it's big jar I never saw another hydra in it, I think they stayed with the plants and the plants seem to want to clump near the center, making the hydra difficult to see. With these other jars being more crowded, I'm having much better luck finding the wee beasties.
I told Wife Friday that I really need a small aquarium to build a habitat, we even looked when we went shopping, but didn't like the prices. Then yesterday when we went to the dump, there was a nice little ten gallon aquarium sitting on top of one of the dumpsters, looking right at me. I wanted a five gallon, but who am I to look a gift horse in the mouth? Took it home and cleaned it up, it leaks a little of course, but that's easy enough to fix.
CE

[Crater Eddie]

I must need more practice, can only see 3 in the first photo.

Sorry. The original image can be zoomed up quite a bit, and the other hydra can then be found. With the downsized image you can't really see many of them without already knowing where they are.
My bad.
CE

[billbillt]

Hi Eddie,

I enjoyed this!.. Those are some great pics of great looking Hydra... I had no trouble finding several by saving and then zooming in on your pic..

BillT

[Crater Eddie]

Now all my jars seem to be totally devoid of hydra . Not a one to be found anywhere.
CE

[KurtM]

Don't give up too soon, there's a very good chance you're just not seeing them for whatever reason. You should get more, not less, with a few weeks time. Get a good light, and I mean a really good light. Clean your glasses real good. Use a magnifying lens. Or take pictures and study the pictures.

[Crater Eddie]

Thanks for the encouragement, Kurt! It is a little discouraging when they all disappear.
However, just a while ago I was looking through the first jar I made up for them, and finally spotted one. Then another. Then another... and another, and on, and on. I suppose hydra are like morel mushrooms... darned difficult to find, but once you spot the first one you find a whole mess of them. Unfortunately, this jar is plastic. I thought it might be better optically than the glass pickle jars, but it's awful. There aren't many Daphnia swimming about, makes me worry about their food source.
CE