The case of the missing testate amoebae

Images made through a microscope. All subject types.

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enricosavazzi
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The case of the missing testate amoebae

Post by enricosavazzi »

I re-visited a sample of moss in water in which I found a few species of testate amoebae a few weeks ago ( http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... hp?t=37521 ). The sample has been stored in a closed plastic vial kept outdoor and exposed to indirect sunlight. The idea was that, in the presence of light, the photosynthetic mosses and algae should produce enough oxygen to keep the community going, and possibly developing a new community structure.

When I put a drop of water on the slide I saw that a small piece of crud, a fraction of a mm, came with the water. I thought of picking it out, but then did not bother and left it in place.

The pictures are with Olympus UPlanApo 40x and DIC on Olympus BX50, no staining and no fixing. Most pictures not cropped.

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At first I found mostly blue-green algae. Nothing exciting, but they have their own appeal. And millions of bacteria, of course.

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And the occasional ciliate, suggesting that there is enough oxygen for them. I don't have flash illumination yet, which is almost obligatory for living ciliates. The 100 W halogen illuminator is almost enough, though.

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Gone were the desmids (Closterium), which were the most abundant algae. Gone were also the testate amoebae, none in sight... until I happened to find the piece of crud, which turned out to be a piece of biofilm:

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Can you see the testate amoebae? One more shot, this one while the slide was drying up.

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--ES

carlos.uruguay
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Post by carlos.uruguay »

Super

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