My last observation was on November 6th. Again, I noticed first that the water level had dropped considerably. Once the aquarium was under the microscope I noticed an increased level of activity compared to last time. There were many very small organisms moving around in the water. Some of them were difficult to track and get a good picture of. I managed to get a picture of a Paramecium as it was wandering around. It was recognizable by the groove which runs down the center and aids in feeding, it is visible in the picture if you look closely.
A Litonotus was also seen making its way through the water. It was quite a bit harder to catch and get a good photo. Luckily the the picture I got made it fairly easy to identify by its distinctive shape.
Many Vorticella were seen throughout the aquarium. This time they seemed much more lively than previously. The majority of observed specimens extended and and all had active cilia. When viewing them closely I could observe a whirlpool effect as water and detritus were moved by the cilia.
Rotifers were plentiful and were active in pretty much every part of the aquarium. They were mostly seen eating plant matter or swimming towards a new place to feed. In the two pictures that follow you can see a Rotifer approaching a plant and then proceed to feed on it in the second picture.
A Rotifer swimming towards its next meal.
The same Rotifer feeding.
Finally I observed an organism that was quite odd looking and larger than anything else I have mentioned. This organism was refered to as a Cyclops and it resembled shrimp or similar crustacean. It reminded me of a crawfish as well. It was easy to identify due to its shape and prominent red eyes.
The next picture is a little blurry but shows the basic shape of the specimen well.
Hopefully next observation my aquarium will have matured more and there will be more strange creatures for me to discover.
No comments:
Post a Comment