flatworm?

mtuell · Post by **mtuell** » Tue Mar 28, 2017 9:19 pm

I was looking at some fish tank water last night, and found this rather large specimen - maybe 3 mm stretched out. This shot is brightfield with a 4x objective. I'll look for other decent shots. So, does anyone know what this is, or offer some pointers for details to look for? I've got higher magnification shots, too, if I know what part of the critter to look at.

Thanks!
Mike

Smokedaddy · Post by **Smokedaddy** » Tue Mar 28, 2017 9:33 pm

... planaria?

curt0909 · Post by **curt0909** » Tue Mar 28, 2017 9:56 pm

I'm pretty sure this is aeolosoma

Smokedaddy · Post by **Smokedaddy** » Tue Mar 28, 2017 10:02 pm

I agree ... aeolosomatidae.

http://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/TF ... tidae.html

mtuell · Post by **mtuell** » Tue Mar 28, 2017 10:03 pm

Curt,

I think you may be onto something here! I'll have to read about them, but the photos sure look familiar!

Thanks!
Mike

GaryB · Post by **GaryB** » Wed Mar 29, 2017 12:01 am

You're finding all sorts of interesting things in your fish tank!

curt0909 · Post by **curt0909** » Wed Mar 29, 2017 7:56 am

Hi Mike,

I had a small colony of them in my fishtank several years ago. I even took a video of one. They have fast moving cilia on the underside of their heads. I believe its to filter and collect food. If you watch the video you'll notice it has a belly full of cilliates. I'm not sure if you have a dark field condenser but they look great in dark field.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbpCxlJ6r6Q

mtuell · Post by **mtuell** » Thu Mar 30, 2017 12:59 am

Curt,

Thanks for the video! Very nice!

I just got a 40x Hoffman objective (finally!

) , so I was all set up for HMC, but this shot was brightfield. I'll put up some of the HMC stuff I got when I get a chance. I got some video, too, but maybe not as nice as yours. I think you said you slowed him down by not letting him cruise around in water - well, I didn't do that, so he was pretty mobile!

If I ever find another one of these guys, I'll definitely try DF!

Mike

curt0909 · Post by **curt0909** » Thu Mar 30, 2017 11:41 am

HMC will be a nice addition. I'll look forward to seeing your images with that setup. In my video he was slowed because of the water thickness. It was pinching him quite a bit. They're too fast in 'open water'. I'm sure there are more in your tank. Look on the walls of your tank near the bottom. You can see them with your naked eye. I use a cut-off pipette to suck them up and put them on the slide.