Your favourite microscopic organism?

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dragonblade
Posts: 200
Joined: Sat Oct 18, 2014 11:16 pm

Your favourite microscopic organism?

Post by dragonblade »

Just curious if you have a favourite microscopic organism or organisms? Of the ones that Ive seen through my own microscope and that Ive been able to identify, it would be the rotifier. They just seem so unusual to me with those large mouth parts lined with rapidly beating cilia. And I like how they anchor themselves to a fixed point and then swim off if they choose. Other micro organisms that I particularly like (but have not viewed through my scope yet) are tardigrades, hydra, amoeba and water fleas. I hope I get to see these one day on a slide.

So what are your favourites?

hero
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Joined: Mon Jul 17, 2017 12:38 pm
Location: California

Post by hero »

I'm partial to Volvox, because they are so geometric and oddly cute in a way. Some might think them boring due to the regularity and self-similarity of features, but to watch them float around is almost like, I dunno, nature's screensaver?

dragonblade
Posts: 200
Joined: Sat Oct 18, 2014 11:16 pm

Post by dragonblade »

Ah Volvox - great choice! I like their perfect spherical appearance. I do find them attractive - I could almost visualise them as a Christmas Tree decoration (if only they were larger.) I don't think Ive been lucky enough to see these through my microscope yet - not that I recall. Ive seen some really nice footage of them online (captured with darkfield setups.)

Harald
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Post by Harald »

Hi there,
I think my favourite micro subject is the Daphnia.
Just love them and easy to get :D
Kind Regards
Harald

Lier Fotoklubb / NSFF
AFIAP / CPS
BGF / GMV
http://www.500px.com/blender11

Sumguy01
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Location: Ketchikan Alaska USA

Post by Sumguy01 »

:D Two of my favorites are Gastrotrich and Collotheca.

GaryB
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Joined: Fri Jul 29, 2016 12:18 pm

Post by GaryB »

My favorite maybe some form of amoeba but I'm not sure because I've only seen it twice and it changes shape from a sphere to a blob. I haven't found any useful info on the web so I'm just guessing. It's a fascinating creature though.

MarkSturtevant
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Post by MarkSturtevant »

I have many favorites, but when I see Vorticella I am transfixed for a long time just watching them do their thing.
Mark Sturtevant
Dept. of Still Waters

Beatsy
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Location: Malvern, UK

Post by Beatsy »

Nothing better than surveying a drop of pond water and just looking at everything. But diatoms are my favourite organisms. Easy to find, loads of variety and it's a technical challenge to capture their finest details optically.

Charles Krebs
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Post by Charles Krebs »

Volvox in darkfield is hard to beat! Soothing to watch.

Lacrymaria "hunting" is fascinating in the opposite way... bizarre, nasty, aggressively predacious. If I was shrunk down to protist size they would be terrifying!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZquzlvEEZq8

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