Parasitic marine isopod + Plankton

Images made through a microscope. All subject types.

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micro_pix
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Parasitic marine isopod + Plankton

Post by micro_pix »

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This is the juvenile parasitic stage of a marine Isopod - Gnathia sp. I think. It's about 2mm long. During this stage they are blood sucking parasites of fish. The second photo shows it attached to a young Common Goby - Pomatoschistus microps. Note: It has eight legs, the front pair are hidden underneath.
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Gnathia_isopoda_33.jpg
Gnathia_isopoda_2675.jpg
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Here is a top view of the larvae of a marine polychaete worm...
dipolydura.jpg
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and this is the Megalopa stage of a developing crab - it's the end of the planktonic stage.
megalopa_2.jpg
David
Last edited by micro_pix on Wed Jul 22, 2020 5:01 am, edited 1 time in total.

Scarodactyl
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Re: Parasitic marine isopod + Plankton

Post by Scarodactyl »

Wonderful shots! I am an especial fan of the crab. The lighting is exceptional.

ChrisR
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Re: Parasitic marine isopod + Plankton

Post by ChrisR »

Yes, lovely crab. Is he about 2mm too?
Chris R

micro_pix
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Re: Parasitic marine isopod + Plankton

Post by micro_pix »

Thanks for the comments.

The crab megalopa was around 2mm across the carapace.

David

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Re: Parasitic marine isopod + Plankton

Post by Soki »

Super plastic and vivid!!!

Simon

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Re: Parasitic marine isopod + Plankton

Post by Macro_Cosmos »

Wow, stunning and alien images. I love how even the illumination is. {-o<

Saul
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Re: Parasitic marine isopod + Plankton

Post by Saul »

Beautiful photos, especially #2 & #4
Saul
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micro_pix
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Re: Parasitic marine isopod + Plankton

Post by micro_pix »

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Thanks for the kind remarks!

I was using a darkfield condenser and Saul’s LED/flash unit on a BH2 and Zerene Stacker for stacking. The fish photo was taken with the fish in a petri dish of seawater and using the flash meant that I could (eventually) get a quick stack of 6 photos before the fish moved. Both the fish and the parasite were returned to the ocean alive this morning.

David

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Re: Parasitic marine isopod + Plankton

Post by Saul »

Both the fish and the parasite were returned to the ocean alive this morning
White envy ...Ocean is far away from me :(
I like eye on the #2 (bottom) - good & very interesting thing for macro & stacking

What does mean that "hair" on the crab's head (#4) - some sensor ? Or it is inside the body ?
Saul
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micro_pix
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Re: Parasitic marine isopod + Plankton

Post by micro_pix »

Saul wrote:
Wed Jul 22, 2020 12:52 pm
I like eye on the #2 (bottom) - good & very interesting thing for macro & stacking

What does mean that "hair" on the crab's head (#4) - some sensor ? Or it is inside the body ?
I agree that fish eye looks so perfect. The top eye is affected by the parasite tail and stacking artifacts.

The markings on the crab are inside the body, or at least under the surface. It looks like nerve fibres but I think it maybe just chromatophores - pigmented cells. I don’t have any knowledge in this area.

David

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