this year in Düsseldorf we have no winter, but instead a smooth transition from autumn to spring. Temperatures are about 50° F (10° C) at the moment. Therefore my garden pond is full of water-fleas, mainly Daphnias. The one I am showing here is a Daphnia pulex obtusa. The first picture shows the natural swimming-behavior because I kept this fellow in a large water drop without cover slip for this foto:
5x/0,12 CP-achromat objective
Next one a close-up of the head-part, stacked together from 4 single pictures with CombineZ5. Here you can see the two eyes: the large complex eye and a litlle bit left beneath of it the much smaller nauplius eye. Furthermore beneath the nose-shaped rostrum the first antenna with its fumbling-bristle can be seen . Also the first part of the green intestine with its appendix like blind ending on top of it is visible. Last not least due to the stacking technique we are able to recognize the socket of the 2. antenna.
10x/0,3 Ph1, plan-neofluar objective
The third pic lets us have a closer look at the bottom of the flea. Here at the end of the postabdomen we find the pennate pair of bristles (setae-natatores). The single feathers can only be seen in the dark-field pic.
10x/0,3 Ph1, plan-neofluar objective
Enjoy!
