first flash result, a synchaeta with fungi

[Wim van Egmond]

I finally post an image made with the new flash on the microscope. The first moving organism I photographed was this Synchaeta, a predatory rotifer. I had it trapped under the coverslip so I could have done this wihout flash. But I think it is sharper than the images I made without flash. And the little cilia are also sharp.

I was intrigued by this type of fungi that spead throughout this predatory rotifer. There is also an enigmatic round object left to the big trophi. Does anybody have a suggestion what it may be?

This image was made with a 25X plan apo I recently bought from a friend. I am happy with it. The depth of field is very shallow especially with the full aperture used in DIC but I combined two focus layers to get the most important parts in focus.

I hope to have time to do more photography soon. I hope to do dark field too!

Wim

[twebster]

WOW, Wim

Your DIC images just knock my socks off About the time I think I'm catching up to some of you image-wise, you go and raise the bar another notch What a beautiful and intriguing image. I'm just fascinated by how well the internal structures are revealed in DIC. I don't know what that bright, round object is, though.

It's amazing how infested with fungi and parasites rotifers can become, yet they can still function somewhat. Humans are wimps in comparison. If we suffered an infestation as bad as this rotifer, we would have succumbed to it much sooner.

Where do you find rotifers, like this one? Do these rotifers live in colder waters? All I can find in the ponds around me are bdelloid rotifers and those little, rotund loricate rotifers. Our ponds get pretty warm here in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, and I just never see rotifers like this one or like the ones Gerd has posted.

Best regards as always, my friend.

[piotr]

Amazing!!!

Very interesting subject. Details and resolution are incredible. What is the red structure next to a tail?

You pushed optical microscopy to its limits, Wim. The planapo objective + flash + DIC (+Wim ) is the best combination I can imagine.

[Oliver Skibbe]

Hi, Wim!

I have never seen anything like this before, but it sure doesn't look like a fungal parasite. There are no hyphae visible inside the rotifer.

Maybe sporozoan infection?

[GreenLarry]

Fantastic image Wim, the fungi are those lozenge shaped objects I take it?
The detail here is amazing, what flash set up do you use, is it a special one for photomicroscopy?

[twebster]

Hi ya' Wim

I keep returning to view this stunning image. I can't t imagine how the rotifer still functions

Best regards as always, my friend

[nzmacro]

Totally incredible work. The details are amazing. Congrats Wim, excellent work and shot.

Danny.