Large, pink cilliate with an ingested rotifer inside

billporter1456 · Post by **billporter1456** » Mon Jan 20, 2014 10:07 am

I probably should have posted this in the Beginners Micro forum because I am surely a beginner! I took up the microscopy hobby about 3 months ago as a retirement pass time. I have enjoyed peering at the creatures from my local pond and had a lot of fun making little videos for YouTube.

A few days ago I saw a large, pink ciliate that apparently had ingested a rotifer. Actually, I didn't notice the body of the rotifer until I reviewed the little video I had made. I wasn't sure of the species of the large ciliate, but I assumed it was a filter feeder that would normally eat bacteria and algae. When I saw the body of the rotifer, I thought, "Wow, that's pretty interesting!" I realize that what's new and interesting to me, as a neophyte, may well be "old hat" to those of you who have worked with scopes for years or even decades.

I'd love to hear any comments about the species of the big, pink guy! I should mention that this was a pretty thin wet mount, so cover slip pressure may be deforming its shape somewhat. Thanks in advance for any help IDing the beastie.

Link to the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKD1rmpvnbE

Bruce Taylor · Post by **Bruce Taylor** » Mon Jan 20, 2014 4:04 pm

It's a very nice Stentor.

There are a few red-pigmented species.

billporter1456 · Post by **billporter1456** » Tue Jan 21, 2014 5:25 pm

Bruce Taylor wrote:It's a very nice Stentor. There are a few red-pigmented species.

Here's a short video I just made showing a Rotifer being swallowed by a Stentor. I don't know how common this is, but it seems to me that if you take enough Rotifers swimming around enough Stentors, eventually a Rotifer is going to end up inside a Stentor. This short video shows the "catch" and also the still alive Rotifers struggling within the body of the Stentor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beufpi64c0g