Daphnia longispina

bernhardinho · Post by **bernhardinho** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 2:42 pm

Hi everbody,

are you still out there? It's been a bit quiet lately.

Here is Daphnia longispina

head and abdominal region (with claw). The last pic is a stack of three pics with Helicon focus.

Hope you enjoy:

So long

Bernhard

Bruce Williams · Post by **Bruce Williams** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 4:15 pm

I just had to reply to this posting Bernhard - VERY impressive! Three excellent images - all showing an astounding amount of internal detail - worth taking time to really explore and enjoy.

Thanks.

Bruce

bernhardinho · Post by **bernhardinho** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 5:21 am

Thanks, Bruce,

if you're prepared for even more, take a look here:

http://www.mikroskopie-forum.de/read.ph ... #msg-29164

Bernhard

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 9:12 am

Bernhard, these are beautiful pictures!

I am interested in the texture of the creature's "shell". Somehow I expected it to be smooth and featureless, but it appears to be a fairly regular pattern of tiled segments. Do you know how that structure forms? Is it for example one tile per cell, or is the structure much larger or much smaller than the level of a cell?

--Rik

bernhardinho · Post by **bernhardinho** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 3:23 pm

Very good question, Rik

first of all, you will hardly find smooth structureless shells in crustacea. In fact, these patterns are an important feature for the ID.
I found the answer to your question in one of our standard books over here (Das Leben im Wassertropfen- Life in a waterdrop):

For those who understand german:

" Die feinen, polygonalen Muster der durchsichtigen Schalenkutikula spiegeln die Grenzen der unter der Kutikula liegenden Hypodermiszellen"

For those who prefer english:

" The fine polygonal patterns of the transparent shell cuticula are indicating the outlines of the hypodermic cells beneath the cuticula."

I hope that makes things clearer!

Bye

Bernhard

Wolfgang Bettighofer · Tue Mar 27, 2007 9:27 am

Hi Bernhard,

high quality pictures combined with an interesting discussion about details of crustaceae anatomy.

Thank you!

--Wolfgang

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 9:52 am

bernhardinho wrote:I hope that makes things clearer!

Yes, wonderfully so! Thanks!

--Rik

Bruce Williams · Post by **Bruce Williams** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 4:17 pm

Bernhard - Thanks for the link to your other D. longispina pics on the German forum . More excellent photos - I strongly recommend anyone to pay a visit.

Bruce

beetleman · Post by **beetleman** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 6:41 pm

They look like x-rays of an alien creature. Wonderful pictures and Info.