2nd Observation

In today’s observations I spotted at least 5 Rotifers, transparent soft-bodied microscopic animals with a short flagella, feeding on the plant bladders of Utricularia gibba around the very top and middle of the microaquarium (Baqai 2001). Inside of the plant bladders were hundreds of tiny organisms, Paramecium, feeding. Also towards the top of the aquarium I ran across a Phacus, a unicellular Euglenoid with a short flagella and red eyespot. Down in the soil, I ran across a Cyclops, a tiny crustacean that looks to have bullhorns and a split tail, digging through and feeding on nutrients in the soil (Van Egmond 2001). Annelids, transparent segmented worms, were also seen pushing through the soil and feeding (Ward 1981). The picture of the Annelid is above (Ward 1981). In the very bottom of the aquarium within the channels dug by the Annelids, Nematodes, roundworms, could be found. Along with a multitude of microorganism sightings, I ran across a few different types of algae. There were several pen-shaped Diatoms, unicellular organisms that have a yellow- brown chloroplast, towards the bottom of the microaquarium in the soil (Van Egmond 2010). Three Closteriums, a type of Desmid green algae, were scattered throughout the soil as well as at least one volvox, a unicellular colonial green algae (Van Egmond 2000; Jones 1997). Other than green algae, I came across two Nitzschia, pollution algae.

Citations:

Baqai A & Guruswamy V. 2001 [cited 2010 Nov 21]. Rotifera. [Internet]. Berkeley: UCMP. Available from: http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/phyla/rotifera/aurotifera.html.

Van Egmond W. 2010 [cited 2010 Nov 21]. Diatoms. [Internet]. UK: Microscopy-uk.org. Available from: http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/wimsmall/diadr.html.

Van Egmond W. 2001 [cited 2010 Nov 21]. A Virtual Pond Dip. [Internet]. UK: Microscopy-uk.org. Available from: http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/index.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/ponddip/cyclops.html.

Ward H, Whipple G. 1981. Fresh-Water Biology. New York: John Wiley & Sons Inc. Fig. 981.


Van Egmond W. 2000 [cited 2010 Nov 6]. Desmids. [Internet]. UK: Microscopy-Uk.org. Available from: http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/wimsmall/algdr.html.


Jones K & Smith M. 2010 [cited 2010 Nov 6]. Volvox. [Internet]. UK:Microscopy-uk.org. Available from: http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/art97b/volvoxms.html.