Some new finds in local river

[Jbailey]

These items were found attached to the root of a duckweed. The first is a Stentor. I believe the second to be Vaginacola Crystallina. This one caught my interest because I have never seen them before and there are two creatures in the same tube. They respond like vorticella to small raps applied to the scope stage.

Photos taken with chinese achromatic scope and web cam. Homemade LED illuminator. 400X scope mag.

Jim

[Mitch640]

I'm curious how you either focussed on a duckweed root or got these critters off the root to photograph. I have some duckweed growing in my aquarium and the root is so short I could never figure out how to get a shot of it

[Jbailey]

Mitch:

The duckweed I find by the "tons" in the river usually has a root that's 3/8 to 1/2 inch long. It doesn't thrive long in a jar on my office windowsill, though.

On a slide, the duckweed holds the coverslip somewhat hign, especially by the leaf. The stentors, vorticella and rotifers attached to the root are still easy
observe.

Thanks for the comment.

Jim

[Mitch640]

I live in La Crosse and late last year, before the river froze, I got a jar of river water at the 7th street ramp and it had a few plants of Duckweed in it. October though, so the plants were definitely in decline.

I put the jar of water in my microbe tank and the Duckweed did little over the winter, but this spring, it took off and withing days had covered the surface of my tank and cleared up the rest of the water.

I also have some hornwort plants and that's where I find most of my animal life.

[ABEL]

In effect; these microorganisms are very similar to my microbes ; possibly vaginicolas .

[Jbailey]

Abel:

Thanks for the feedback. I will try to get better photos of them if they are still living in the jar.

Jim