Difflugia test

[gpmatthews]

Microscope: Leitz Diavert
Objective: Leica 32/0.4 160/1.1
Ocular: Zeiss KPL-W 10/18
Substage: Leitz Condenser 91/ low NA COL
Camera: Canon EOS 500D
Sample from garden pond 20-Nov-2011
Stack of 13 images/Zerene Stacker/Helicon Filter dust-map

I took a sample from my garden pond this evening and placed it in a tissue flask which I then put on the stage of my Diavert. The image uses Circular oblique Lighting (COL) achieved by leaving the PHACO 1 annulus in the lamp filter holder and an unusual LWD x32 Leica objective designed to work through thick glass or plastic, such as a dish or flask.

[Cactusdave]

Nice example Graham. What's the small organism to the upper left of the test? Looks a bit like a dinoflagellate.

[gpmatthews]

- yes, a dinoflagellate, possibly Peridiunium or similar. There were loads of them

[Mitch640]

Wow, Graham, great detail and definition. I have recently found a number of these difflugia species in a sample of pond water sent to me by a friend in Tennessee. My inages didn't come out nearly as good though.

Ferry Identified this as a Difflugia acuminata. You can see many difflugia species on hos webpage here;

http://arcella.nl/

[gpmatthews]

Thanks MItch - yes I had it down as probably D. acuminata also