Crystals on Cladoceran surface (one image added)

Marek Mis · Post by **Marek Mis** » Fri Mar 16, 2012 6:07 am

Polarized light with retarders
Lumipan - CZJ microscope
20 X S planapo
2,5 NFK
Stacked in HF
slightly cropped

I've decided to add one more photograph presenting a lot of smaller crystals forming themselves in points of meeting of four plates.

Clado · Post by **Clado** » Fri Mar 16, 2012 3:46 pm

Hello Marek,

This is a very nice picture. Thank you.
Do you know the species of the waterflea?

With kind regards,

Clado

RogelioMoreno · Post by **RogelioMoreno** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 8:58 am

Very nice colors.

Rogelio

Marek Mis · Post by **Marek Mis** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 10:41 am

Thank you Clado and Rogelio for your comments.
Clado, unfortunately I don't know the species.

Marek

Ernst Hippe · Post by **Ernst Hippe** » Sun Mar 18, 2012 9:01 am

Hallo Marek,
I am very pleased to see your waterflea crystals! Since my first finding those several years ago I find them from time to time in different locations. Until now nobody knows their origin, and nothig is written in literature. So your find is very interesting!
Greetings Ernst

Charles Krebs · Post by **Charles Krebs** » Sun Mar 18, 2012 12:54 pm

Marek,

Another beautiful graphic abstract image!

Wim van Egmond · Post by **Wim van Egmond** » Mon Mar 19, 2012 12:59 am

It is fascinating and a very nice picture as well! Brilliant. You can see by the polarisation that the crystal started to grow from where 4 plates meet. Or from the tiny spike of one plate. So that could be a clue. I doubt that it is a secretion because what would the advantage be? Is it a mineral? Or is alive? A nice puzzle!

Wim

Marek Mis · Post by **Marek Mis** » Mon Mar 19, 2012 1:31 am

Ernst, Charlie and Wim

Thank you very much for your very kind words of comment !

Ernst,
You are right, such crystals are not so frequent. I could see them first time. I am not sure they occured at one species. As far I remember it they were on the surfaces of verious species of waterfleas. I found them at waterfleas living in a small artifficial pond prepared by the farmer. I've never seen it before anywhere. Ernst, perhaps should we do some research to give some data into literature ?

But I'm afraid my research is not possible because the farmer changed the quality of the water in the pond. The water is very dirt and contaminated now

Wim,
Yes, the polarisation started from that place which you mentioned about. I could see this process during my time consuming obsrevation. I don't think the crystals are any advantage for our waterflea. I think it is rather substance which the waterflea doesn't want to have inside. And I think it is certainly mineral.

Marek

Wim van Egmond · Post by **Wim van Egmond** » Mon Mar 19, 2012 1:49 am

So was it a solid material or a fluid? You could see it flowing out of the organism? I assume it is solid.

Wim

Marek Mis · Post by **Marek Mis** » Mon Mar 19, 2012 3:14 am

Wim,

I don't know if it was solid immediately or firstly as a liquid and then in contact with the waterflea surface crystalized into solid. These are just my considerations without any literature support. I observed that the crystals were distributed not chaoticly. They were created in places where four plates meet (as you mentioned it before) and growed firstly along the edges of that plates. I'll try to find my other images presenting it.

Marek

Ernst Hippe · Post by **Ernst Hippe** » Mon Mar 19, 2012 3:35 am

Marek,
I am sure they are solid from the beginning. They can be found in living waterfleas of different species, but also in the empty shells lateron:

There is more information in my article in MIKROKOSMOS 2/2008 (in German).
Regards!
Ernst

P.S. Sorry, I should have ask you before posting my picture!

Marek Mis · Post by **Marek Mis** » Tue Mar 20, 2012 1:40 am

Ernst,

No problem if about your additional image. By the way - very nice picture.
During my observations I managed to find quite big surfaces of waterflea's body almost covered by growing and growing crystals which begun overlaping each other.

Regards

Marek