Microscopic life in a sea water aquarium
Microscopic life in a sea water aquarium
I have always wanted to but never had the opportunity to study marine microscopic life. I had the idea of simply walking into a sea water aquarium store and asking for a small sample. The owner of the store was very intrigued by my request and picked material from 3 different aquariums.
Here I present to you my findings from the salt water aquarium.
The bacteria, algae and diatoms
(Red algae)
The protists
(Not at all sure what this is)
The worms
Best regards,
Wes
Here I present to you my findings from the salt water aquarium.
The bacteria, algae and diatoms
(Red algae)
The protists
(Not at all sure what this is)
The worms
Best regards,
Wes
Zeiss Photomicroscope III BF/DF/Pol/Ph/DIC/FL/Jamin-Lebedeff
Youtube channel
Youtube channel
Re: Microscopic life in a sea water aquarium
Hello,
what a special an unknown organisms are they.
Beautiful photos !!
what a special an unknown organisms are they.
Beautiful photos !!
Re: Microscopic life in a sea water aquarium
Wow, those are very impressive images, Wes. Are you using your usual equipment your did you make an upgrade?
Do you know the ID of the oval ciliate after the pigmented Hypotrich? Also, is the purple thing sulfur bacteria?
Thanks for sharing!
Do you know the ID of the oval ciliate after the pigmented Hypotrich? Also, is the purple thing sulfur bacteria?
Thanks for sharing!
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Re: Microscopic life in a sea water aquarium
I've never seen better images! Beautiful.
Re: Microscopic life in a sea water aquarium
Thank you all for the comments and interest.
Usual equipment, but I did get a DIC prism that works well with my ancient 25x planapo and used that for some of the images.
Honestly I have no idea what the oval ciliate is, frankly I'm not sure if its even a protists, could be the larval stage of something. The round object in its right side could be a Müller vesicle or a statolith. I've been entertaining the idea of isolating such unusual things under a stereomicroscope to amplify and sequence its ribosomal genes for a more reliable ID... maybe some day I will give this a try. As for the purple things... well its purple and its bacteria but beyond that I cannot speculate much (maybe some sort of rhodopsin-containing photosynthetic bacteria). I am really unfamiliar with marine life (which makes it way more exciting).
Zeiss Photomicroscope III BF/DF/Pol/Ph/DIC/FL/Jamin-Lebedeff
Youtube channel
Youtube channel
- ImperatorRex
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Re: Microscopic life in a sea water aquarium
Hi Wes,
great series of photos!
The Planapo 25x is also my favorite Zeiss Objective, it makes a difference!
great series of photos!
The Planapo 25x is also my favorite Zeiss Objective, it makes a difference!
Re: Microscopic life in a sea water aquarium
I knew it was going to be good. But not that good!!!!!!
-Dennis
-Dennis
Re: Microscopic life in a sea water aquarium
Interesting! I had the idea Müller vesicles were only present on Loxodes. The oval microorganism looks a lot like a ciliate to me with all those distinctive cilia around the cell membrane and those vacuoles. Maybe someone will chime in to clarify this.Wes wrote: ↑Tue Sep 27, 2022 8:23 pmThank you all for the comments and interest.
Usual equipment, but I did get a DIC prism that works well with my ancient 25x planapo and used that for some of the images.
Honestly I have no idea what the oval ciliate is, frankly I'm not sure if its even a protists, could be the larval stage of something. The round object in its right side could be a Müller vesicle or a statolith. I've been entertaining the idea of isolating such unusual things under a stereomicroscope to amplify and sequence its ribosomal genes for a more reliable ID... maybe some day I will give this a try. As for the purple things... well its purple and its bacteria but beyond that I cannot speculate much (maybe some sort of rhodopsin-containing photosynthetic bacteria). I am really unfamiliar with marine life (which makes it way more exciting).
Re: Microscopic life in a sea water aquarium
Very impressive images indeed! Have you sent any to the owner of the store?
Cheers,
Kurt Maurer
League City, Texas
email: ngc704(at)gmail(dot)com
https://www.flickr.com/photos/67904872@ ... 912223623/
Kurt Maurer
League City, Texas
email: ngc704(at)gmail(dot)com
https://www.flickr.com/photos/67904872@ ... 912223623/
Re: Microscopic life in a sea water aquarium
Oh that one with all the legs!
That could be in a Ray Harry Hausen production movie like "7th Voyage of Sinbad" or "Jason and the Argonauts."
Dennis
That could be in a Ray Harry Hausen production movie like "7th Voyage of Sinbad" or "Jason and the Argonauts."
Dennis
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Re: Microscopic life in a sea water aquarium
Absolutely beautiful images.
Re: Microscopic life in a sea water aquarium
Fantastic images Wes!
The Planapo 25/0.65 is also one of my favourite objectives. It seems to play nicely with the first generation of Zeiss DIC too, though it is early days for me with trans DIC.
The Planapo 25/0.65 is also one of my favourite objectives. It seems to play nicely with the first generation of Zeiss DIC too, though it is early days for me with trans DIC.
Re: Microscopic life in a sea water aquarium
Thank you all once again for the comments.
On another forum it was pointed out to me that the round structure is in fact a statolith likely belonging to a member of Turbellaria or Acoelomorpha, not a protist at all.Javier wrote: ↑Tue Sep 27, 2022 9:40 pmInteresting! I had the idea Müller vesicles were only present on Loxodes. The oval microorganism looks a lot like a ciliate to me with all those distinctive cilia around the cell membrane and those vacuoles. Maybe someone will chime in to clarify this.Wes wrote: ↑Tue Sep 27, 2022 8:23 pmThank you all for the comments and interest.
Usual equipment, but I did get a DIC prism that works well with my ancient 25x planapo and used that for some of the images.
Honestly I have no idea what the oval ciliate is, frankly I'm not sure if its even a protists, could be the larval stage of something. The round object in its right side could be a Müller vesicle or a statolith. I've been entertaining the idea of isolating such unusual things under a stereomicroscope to amplify and sequence its ribosomal genes for a more reliable ID... maybe some day I will give this a try. As for the purple things... well its purple and its bacteria but beyond that I cannot speculate much (maybe some sort of rhodopsin-containing photosynthetic bacteria). I am really unfamiliar with marine life (which makes it way more exciting).
Hi Kurt, thank you for the comment and yes I sent the images to the store owner who was fascinated by the invisible biology of their aquarium.
I fine lens indeed, what sort of trans DIC combination have you come up with?
Zeiss Photomicroscope III BF/DF/Pol/Ph/DIC/FL/Jamin-Lebedeff
Youtube channel
Youtube channel
Re: Microscopic life in a sea water aquarium
Magnificent!
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Re: Microscopic life in a sea water aquarium
Marvellous images!
The first ciliate is in the family Strombidiidae (a very abundant group, in salt water).
The pigmented fellow is a species of Pseudokeronopsis (e.g. P. rubra)
As you already know, the next ciliated creature is not a ciliate at all, but an acoel (acoelomorph) flatworm, equipped with a statocyst
The first ciliate is in the family Strombidiidae (a very abundant group, in salt water).
The pigmented fellow is a species of Pseudokeronopsis (e.g. P. rubra)
As you already know, the next ciliated creature is not a ciliate at all, but an acoel (acoelomorph) flatworm, equipped with a statocyst
Re: Microscopic life in a sea water aquarium
Wow, flat worm! And just when I thought I knew a little about microorganisms...Bruce Taylor wrote: ↑Wed Sep 28, 2022 11:36 pmMarvellous images!
The first ciliate is in the family Strombidiidae (a very abundant group, in salt water).
The pigmented fellow is a species of Pseudokeronopsis (e.g. P. rubra)
As you already know, the next ciliated creature is not a ciliate at all, but an acoel (acoelomorph) flatworm, equipped with a statocyst
Re: Microscopic life in a sea water aquarium
May I ask how do you realize it isn't a ciliate? I see cilia, vacuoles, oval body. What is the clue to know this is a micro animal instead of a single celled organism?
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Re: Microscopic life in a sea water aquarium
You did a beautiful job. Those photos speak volumes.
I hope you will share them with the guy who gave you the samples.
I hope you will share them with the guy who gave you the samples.
Re: Microscopic life in a sea water aquarium
Just this week I received a condenser and slider of the first generation. The parts are a little beaten up but the results are great so far, despite not using the correct objectives.I fine lens indeed, what sort of trans DIC combination have you come up with?
Previously I did play around a little with using epi dic objectives and inko sliders for both condenser and objective. I got some promising results but it would really require machining an adaptor to allow centering the condenser objective, no need now!
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Re: Microscopic life in a sea water aquarium
Yes, acoelomorphs certainly can look like ciliates. They even have digestive vacuoles, instead of a gut. Very odd creatures!
In this case, the statocyst--that single round organ on the centerline of the cell, in the anterior--is a pretty strong clue. Also, those shaggy spindle-shaped organs on its body do not resemble ciliate extrusomes or other organelles. I don't know much about worms, but I think these could be "rhabdoids" (whatever those might be ). The marine habitat is typical for acoelomorphs, as far as I know.
Re: Microscopic life in a sea water aquarium
I was hoping you would pop by and drop some IDs, thanks a lot!Bruce Taylor wrote: ↑Wed Sep 28, 2022 11:36 pmMarvellous images!
The first ciliate is in the family Strombidiidae (a very abundant group, in salt water).
The pigmented fellow is a species of Pseudokeronopsis (e.g. P. rubra)
As you already know, the next ciliated creature is not a ciliate at all, but an acoel (acoelomorph) flatworm, equipped with a statocyst
I didGreg Howald wrote: ↑Thu Sep 29, 2022 12:48 amI hope you will share them with the guy who gave you the samples.
Zeiss Photomicroscope III BF/DF/Pol/Ph/DIC/FL/Jamin-Lebedeff
Youtube channel
Youtube channel
Re: Microscopic life in a sea water aquarium
Thank you!Bruce Taylor wrote: ↑Thu Sep 29, 2022 8:15 pmYes, acoelomorphs certainly can look like ciliates. They even have digestive vacuoles, instead of a gut. Very odd creatures!
In this case, the statocyst--that single round organ on the centerline of the cell, in the anterior--is a pretty strong clue. Also, those shaggy spindle-shaped organs on its body do not resemble ciliate extrusomes or other organelles. I don't know much about worms, but I think these could be "rhabdoids" (whatever those might be ). The marine habitat is typical for acoelomorphs, as far as I know.