3 wild and crazy looking rotifers

[Charles Krebs]

Been an interesting two or three weeks...
... built in microscope light died
... lost a drive with about 4 gigs of new pictures on it
... needed a sudden root canal (think Dustin Hoffman in Marathon Man ... let's hear it for Vicoden and Percocet!)

But hey!... the sun is shining, spring has arrived big time, and by rigging a temporary fiber optic light to the back of the stand I even managed to get a few new rotifer shots before dismantling the scope to send for repair.
(and I think I have used up my allotment of emoticons for the entire year in this one message)


All taken in DIC with a 40X objective. The top two are actively feeding bdelloid rotifers. The bottom is a collotheca as it is gradually "re-emerging" after pulling in when something had alarmed it.

[Frez]

Well you can always count on the good ol' rotifers to be there. Now disconnect the fiber cable from its source and hold it up to your camera's flash. It works well.

Frez

[Wim van Egmond]

That's sad to hear. Trouble always comes in avalanches. I know everything about that!

But these are great images. The top one is Rotaria and the second is Philodina I believe. The difference is in the position of the eyes. In Philodina they are in front of the sensory organ, in Rotaria they are oin the other side of that. Great details. Actually I had quite a similar picture of a Rotaria ready to be posted. I have been looking at Rotifers for some days. They are realy phantastic beasties.

I hope you'll be in full working mode soon! The spring does help! And if the roots behave badly I can always suggest you take a good old dutch Jenever treatment. Shall I send you a bottle?

best regards,

Wim

[Charles Krebs]

... I'll tell you Wim... I was about ready to pull a bottle of Jenever out of the freezer and look for a pair of pliers (and do a little self-dentristry) the other night!

When I first set up my microscope the first samples of water I inspected just happened to be full of bdelloid rotifers. I've been fascinated ever since. And my curiosity about the cilia movement made me realize that electronic flash was going to be essential!

[bernhardinho]

"But these are great images. The top one is Rotaria and the second is Philodina I believe. The difference is in the position of the eyes. In Philodina they are in front of the sensory organ, in Rotaria they are oin the other side of that. "

Hi Wim,
please pardon my audacity, but it's just the other way round ( according to Streble/Krauter). So the top one should be the Philodina and the second one Rotaria (tardigrada?). But great pictures anyway, I get down on my knees!!

Bernhard

[Wim van Egmond]

Thanks Bernard! That could well be. I am just too confused. Could be the spring

Wim