These are all from my neighbor's backyard pond. The IDs are all tentative - any help with that would be much appreciated.
DIC and high-speed flash (the latter hardly necessary to freeze movement of these subjects).
1. Arcella sp. Empty tests are common, but I've much less frequently seen one with the owner at home. Does anyone know if the symmetrical air bubbles are normal?
2. Vampyrella sp. This one seemed to be carrying debris stuck to its body. A few of the pseudopods like the one on the left seemed almost feather-like.
3. Parachaos sp. The cytoplasm is filled with glistening crystals of various sizes and shapes. The amoeba is getting ready to engulf an algal cell, Golenkinia sp.
Some amoebas
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Some amoebas
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Re: Some amoebas
Bubbles are indeed normal in Arcellidae. Gas bubbles enable the organism to lift itself from the substrate into the water column, where it can float to a new location. See: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs ... lAQSst8Ysg
Note that the Arcella discoides in that article is now Galeripora discoides. The old genus has been split, and we now have to look a bit more closely to differentiate Arcella from Galeripora.
Note that the Arcella discoides in that article is now Galeripora discoides. The old genus has been split, and we now have to look a bit more closely to differentiate Arcella from Galeripora.
It Came from the Pond (Blog): http://www.itcamefromthepond.com/
Re: Some amoebas
Picture #3 looks like something out of a unicellular nightmare.
Re: Some amoebas
Thanks, Bruce. Buoyancy control - that's a clever adaptation. I'm learning that amoebas are so much more than moving, morphing blobs.
Lou, the nightmare scenario is about right. When it was some distance away, that amoeba seemed to change course to go toward the algae. How could it 'know' that food was in that direction? Of course, the turn could have been random, but I've several times seen that kind of seemingly 'directed' behavior by various large amoebas.
Lou, the nightmare scenario is about right. When it was some distance away, that amoeba seemed to change course to go toward the algae. How could it 'know' that food was in that direction? Of course, the turn could have been random, but I've several times seen that kind of seemingly 'directed' behavior by various large amoebas.
Re: Some amoebas
IPerhaps they are more sophisticated predators than we suspect. They could possibly notice chemical gradients, or pressure waves, or even electrical fields.
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Re: Some amoebas
Or very slight changes in light from a particular direction?
1. Olympus BH2 BHTU trinocular w/DPlan objectives, Risingcam 20mp 1” USB
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2. Motic SMZ 168 Stereo w/Nikon N1 APS-C
3. Extreme macro rig Nikon D500/PB6 bellows/10x CFI Achr/Raynox DCR150/Wemacro Rail