A big one

Jan l'Amie · Post by **Jan l'Amie** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 11:15 am

Some parts of a very big (about 3 mm) freshwater worm with a long sweeping trunck. I think it's a Stylaria spec.

Charles Krebs · Post by **Charles Krebs** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 11:38 am

Excellent details, and nice illumination. What is the lighting method used?

Are these straight out of the camera or do you do any "post processing"? It is a subjective area, but I feel the details might be better displayed with some simple contrast adjustments such as "levels" or "curves"

Jan l'Amie · Post by **Jan l'Amie** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 11:50 am

Thanks Charles. Illumination is Halogen oblique light by Kreutz filter.
Only a little contrast added by Photoshop.

Mitch640 · Post by **Mitch640** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 11:52 am

Very interesting Jan. And nice photos. My microbe aquarium has about 2 inches of gravel at the bottom, I wonder if I have any down there.

Jan l'Amie · Post by **Jan l'Amie** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 1:06 pm

I found it in a sample of pondwater from about 30 meters from my house.
Just behind the head of the worm (near the black spot) you can see a Navicula diatom.
In this sample I found hundreds of this diatom (and some other specs).

Mitch640 · Post by **Mitch640** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 1:18 pm

Is that an "internal diatom"? Did he eat it?

Jan l'Amie · Post by **Jan l'Amie** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 1:48 pm

It looks like it but I don't think the trunck is wide enough.
This diatom is a small one, most of them are two or three times bigger.

Mitch640 · Post by **Mitch640** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 1:53 pm

I was thinking the same thing, although I could not see the end of the trunk. But, maybe it can stretch.

Jan l'Amie · Post by **Jan l'Amie** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 2:12 pm

I watched the worm a while and the trunk is about three times longer than what you can see on the photo. The begin is about half the size of the part at the head and it didn't look strechable so I'm not sure.