Observation 4: November 6, 2008

This week, I observed in general that there were fewer lively organisms. Last week, it seemed that everywhere I turned the microscope, there was an overwhelming amount of life. Now, I saw fewer organisms in as much space and few new ones. The lack of abundance might be a lack of food in comparison to last week's food pellet, though one organism that did seem to be thriving was the algae.

In the upper level of water, near the carnivorous plant, life was quiet. I saw a few single-cell organisms moving around along with diatoms, but that's about it. Lower in the water level but near the same plant, I witnessed more activity, but nothing easily identifiable (which may have been that I was using a different microscope than the last two weeks).

Closer to the sediment level, I saw a lot more similar activity in comparison to last week. I saw something that reminded me of a fungus zygote formation, though I doubt that's what it was. It grew in small, round clumps of a dark blue / purple / black color. In this same area I saw diatoms, a few gastrotrich, halteria, cyanobacteria (identifiable to me by their heterocysts), and three newly identified organisms (for me, not that they're new species).

First, I could identify Spike - my fork-tailed, shelled fellow from Observation 3. He is a member of the Rotifier phylum, genus Trichotria (Rainisk and Russell 1996), and they have an interesting reproduction process that I mean to look into, perhaps for my lab report.

Second, I identified as closely as I could an organism with cilia most noticable wiggling around on it's "mouth" (anterior?). In the phylum Ciliophora, Stylonychia is the genus that I closely narrowed down for this organism (Rainisk and Russell 1996).

Third, I may be able to identify Angel from Observation 3 as a Chilondonella (Rainisk and Russell 1996). If so, then it shares the name / identity of a fish-harming disease in personal aquariums. I'll need more research to know for sure if this is the creature's genus.

Next week will be my last observation period, and hopefully I'll have some videos and final photos to upload.

Sources

Rainisk K.G., Russel B.J. 1996. Guide to Microlife. Danbury (Connecticut): Franklin Watts. p. 101, 105-106, 191.