Found in a Lichen sample.

[Rudix]

Hi everyone,

Any idea what the object below is? I found it water drained from a lichen sample (leafy foliose I think).

I used a 40x objective and the image is full frame using a 2x magnifying camera adapter. It is a 15 image stack.



And here is the Lichen sample it came from.



Thanks for looking,
Rudi

[Franz Neidl]

Hello Rudi,

I think this is a Statoplast (a "winter egg") from a freshwater bryozoan.
An interesting picture!

Franz

[Rudix]

Hello Rudi,

I think this is a Statoplast (a "winter egg") from a freshwater bryozoan.
An interesting picture!

Franz

Hello Franz,

Thanks for the info, really interesting! I think that could be it, the lichen and surroundings were drying out so it must have gone into survival mode!

Thanks!
Rudi

[carlos.uruguay]

Interesting. I've never seen

[Jacek]

Nice

[Cactusdave]

Not convinced it's a bryozoan statoblast. I've not seen one that resembles this at all, and the habitat makes it unlikely. It certainly looks like a dormant stage of 'something' but I don't know what. I did wonder about a tardigrade or nematode, but it doesn't really look right for that either.

[Rudix]

Not convinced it's a bryozoan statoblast. I've not seen one that resembles this at all, and the habitat makes it unlikely. It certainly looks like a dormant stage of 'something' but I don't know what. I did wonder about a tardigrade or nematode, but it doesn't really look right for that either.

Interesting, thanks!

I find it difficult to identify many things I see, but I am new at this and still building experience and information sources! This is only my second week with a microscope.....

A bit more detail.





It is actually a very thin/flat object, maybe related to the lichen?
It looks like there are little granular bits of it coming off around the edges?

Thanks for looking,
Rudi