Small freshwater animal

pwnell · Post by **pwnell** » Mon Apr 09, 2012 6:16 pm

Not sure what this is, but I found it in the still water near a small lake close to me in Surrey, BC. They were not in the water about a month ago when I took a sample. Must be a spring thing...

Close up (20x objective I think)

NikonUser · Post by **NikonUser** » Mon Apr 09, 2012 6:32 pm

A Cladoceran, water flea. Many species in many genera; many are simply called (erroneously) Daphnia sp. But I believe this is actually a Daphnia sp.

pwnell · Post by **pwnell** » Mon Apr 09, 2012 6:36 pm

I do apologise for my ignorance in comparison with most other people on these forums. I am learning, and now that you mention Daphnia, I do recall collecting Daphnia as a very young kid with my father as food supply for our tropical aquarium. That was a good memory, thanks for the ID.

Mitch640 · Post by **Mitch640** » Wed Apr 18, 2012 1:44 pm

Very nice pics. I was surprised to find them in a sample last year from the Mississippi River. They didn't last long enough in my aquarium though.

specious_reasons · Post by **specious_reasons** » Thu Apr 19, 2012 5:40 am

pwnell wrote:I do apologise for my ignorance in comparison with most other people on these forums. I am learning, and now that you mention Daphnia, I do recall collecting Daphnia as a very young kid with my father as food supply for our tropical aquarium. That was a good memory, thanks for the ID.

You and me both. I call my technique "Identify by Google Images."

I'm happy if I get the genus correct.

Actually, I've been having good luck with Guide to Microlife by Rainis and Russell. It's got a catalog of the common creatures you'll find, and it's got a guide broken down by common sources (like "still waters" and "yard and forest").

Mitch640 · Post by **Mitch640** » Thu Apr 19, 2012 6:04 am

specious_reasons wrote:Actually, I've been having good luck with Guide to Microlife by Rainis and Russell. It's got a catalog of the common creatures you'll find, and it's got a guide broken down by common sources (like "still waters" and "yard and forest").

I have that book and "A Guide to the Study of Fresh-water Biology" by James and Paul Needham. That one has been even more helpful, although it doesn't have images, but plates showing the bugs.

pwnell · Post by **pwnell** » Thu Apr 19, 2012 9:31 am

I'll be sure to buy those two books, thanks. I have a flower guide book that is quite clever. For a n00b like myself it is impossibly hard to browse a 2000 page reference book trying to find one flower species. But the little field guide I have is colour coded. So you go to the section matching the colour of the flower you want to ID and go from there.

If this does the same for bugs, by classifying them by mortal standards and not their morphology, it would be a great asset.

Mitch640 · Post by **Mitch640** » Thu Apr 19, 2012 9:39 am

The Needham book is so handy because it has one plate on one page, that puts all the micro bugs on the same general phyla, IE, crab, lobsters and clams one page, all the diatoms on another, all the copopods on one and so on, so it's easy to get close, then each smaller image on the plate has a letter that you cross reference for more detailed information and the name.

I wish all books for non experts were set up this way, for those who weren't made to memorize them then never use them.

NikonUser · Post by **NikonUser** » Thu Apr 19, 2012 1:02 pm

Books are nice to have but with the amazing amount of talent here on PMG.net I would be surprised if there was anything that could not be ID'd.
Even Rik's recent image "larva of a phoretic mite' was identified. Just needs one guy or gal to recognize the specimen.

Has there ever been a decent photo in need of an ID that has gone without an ID; here on PMG.net?

pwnell · Post by **pwnell** » Thu Apr 19, 2012 1:10 pm

I'll take you up on your challenge

There are several little creatures I photographed recently that I have no idea what they are. Will be posting them soon and see if I can find something nobody can ID.