Mystery freshwater invertebrate

[spongepuppy]

Hello all,

I noted this interesting critter in a sample of puddle water, and my limited knowledge of biology in general sees me unable to identify its genus (let alone species). Assistance in identification would be greatly appreciated.

It has greenish spots on its surface, which leads me to wonder if it has chloroplasts, or perhaps light receptors?

Video footage is here: http://vimeo.com/93131429. Frame width is 2.4mm, so the overall length of the beast was around 2mm, give or take.

Sorry for the poor quality of the video , but it's much easier to capture moving things this way than to try and photograph them!

[billporter1456]

Hello all,

I noted this interesting critter in a sample of puddle water, and my limited knowledge of biology in general sees me unable to identify its genus (let alone species). Assistance in identification would be greatly appreciated.

It has greenish spots on its surface, which leads me to wonder if it has chloroplasts, or perhaps light receptors?

Video footage is here: http://vimeo.com/93131429. Frame width is 2.4mm, so the overall length of the beast was around 2mm, give or take.

Sorry for the poor quality of the video , but it's much easier to capture moving things this way than to try and photograph them!

I thought the video quality was just fine! I believe your creature is an Aeolosoma, an aquatic worm. Here's a video of one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQHKck7dopU

[spongepuppy]

Thanks Bill, much appreciated!

[carlos.uruguay]

Hi spongepuppy
It has greenish spots or irange spots?
In which area of its body?
carlos

[spongepuppy]

There are greenish spots across the outer cuticle, although they're not terribly in focus a lot of the time in my video (also, it seems that Vimeo has compressed the size of the video, which doesn't help).

A photo that better shows them (not mine) is here: http://eol.org/pages/151/overview.

[carlos.uruguay]

Thanks spongepuppy
The stains are drops of oil
The the number of 'hairs' and the stains color characterizes the species
In relation to stains
Aelosoma hemprechi: orange or reddish
Aelosoma variegatum: yellow or bluish
Regards
carlos

[piermicro]

Very nice results.

[spongepuppy]

Thanks spongepuppy
The stains are drops of oil
The the number of 'hairs' and the stains color characterizes the species
In relation to stains
Aelosoma hemprechi: orange or reddish
Aelosoma variegatum: yellow or bluish
Regards
carlos

Thanks for the detailed information Carlos - they're certainly a very interesting subject to observe, and more so now that I know a bit more about them!