the cladoceran ("water fleas") Penilia avirostris

Franz Neidl · Post by **Franz Neidl** » Wed Oct 02, 2013 1:29 pm

This is a filter feeding waterflea (cladoceran) in the Plankton of the Mediterranean Sea.
It is not the lateral view, therefore you can not see the typical Rostrum ("avirostris"), but only the bivalved carapace.
Very difficult to take pictures, because this is a very delicate animal.

Brightfield, objective 4x, sea plankton

Franz

fonakta · Post by **fonakta** » Wed Oct 02, 2013 10:39 pm

Nice little guy! There are not so many sea water cladocera species, thanks for sharing.

Jacek · Post by **Jacek** » Thu Oct 03, 2013 1:58 am

Do you prepare in any special way shellfish?
They are always well arranged and clean.

Franz Neidl · Post by **Franz Neidl** » Fri Oct 04, 2013 5:11 am

Jacek wrote

Do you prepare in any special way shellfish?
They are always well arranged and clean.

Hello Jacek,
thank you for your answer. I dont use any preparation of the animals, they are always still alive.
I use a normal television monitor connected with my SLR in order to control the position of my object. Afterwards I clean in the computer the picture a little with the program Photoshop Elements 11 (only the background, but not the object - the animal - itself).

Franz

Clado · Post by **Clado** » Fri Oct 04, 2013 10:49 am

A very nice image.
Thank you for sharing.

Charles Krebs · Post by **Charles Krebs** » Sat Oct 05, 2013 7:58 pm

Nicely done. It does indeed look delicate... and sort of mysterious!

This might be the first marine water flea I have seen.