Microlife: Weaselhead Flats - Water-milfoil from pond

Aug 6-8, 2017
Next sample

This sample was taken from a low marshy pond worked by beavers, likely part of a former river channel. The shallows were crowded with water-milfoil and other aquatic plants, providing shelter for many small animals including brook stickleback, giant pond snails, and various insects.

Marsh
Canadian beaver
Pond snail

Different green algae, especially filaments and small desmids, were very common. There were also larger greenish to orangish globes of tapering Nostocales, found mainly on plants and often home to Ptygura. Rotifers in general were widespread, notably Lecane and lepadellids, as were vorticellids and especially Strobilidium.

↬ Thanks to zoologist Dr. Nataliia Iakovenko for confirming the identification of Rotaria neptunia and Dissotrocha aculeata and to phycologist Roman Romanov for the identification of Dichotomococcus and Oedogonium.

Kingdom Bacteria
…Phylum Cyanobacteria – blue-green algae

Cyanobacteria, Cosmarium
Cyanobacteria, Cosmarium - about 45, 20 µm
Merismopedia
Merismopedia - 8×8 blocks up to 45 µm
Cyanobacteria
Cyanobacteria - colonies about 30 µm
Nostocales
Nostocales - about 135 µm
Nostocales
Nostocales - main sphere about 0.5 mm
Nostocales
Nostocales - main sphere about 1.3 mm
Nostocales, diatom
Nostocales, Diatomeae - about 4 µm wide, 50 µm
Nostocales
Nostocales - sphere about 150 µm

Kingdom Plantae
…Phylum Chlorophyta – green algae

Dichotomococcus
Dichotomococcus - cells up to 30 µm
Chlorophyte
Chlorophyta - about 6 µm wide
Oedogonium
Oedogonium - about 11-25 µm wide
Chlorophyte
Oedogonium - about 20-30 µm wide
Chaetophorales
Chaetophorales - filaments up to 7 µm wide
Stauridium, Cosmarium
Stauridium, Cosmarium - about 24, 21 µm
Hydrodictyaceae
Hydrodictyaceae - colony about 40 µm
Pseudopediastrum
Pseudopediastrum - colony about 80 µm
Pandorina
Pandorina - colony about 20 µm
Pandorina, dividing
Pandorina, dividing - envelope about 110 µm
Chlorophyte
Chlorophyta - about 26 µm wide
Zygnema
Zygnema - cells about 20 µm wide
Spirogyra
Spirogyra - about 14 µm wide
Closterium
Closterium - about 140, 105 µm
Closterium
Closterium - about 255 µm
Closterium
Closterium - about 400 µm
Staurastrum
Staurastrum - about 35 µm

…Phylum Tracheophyta – vascular plants

Water-milfoil
Myriophyllum, leaves - stems about 0.2-0.3 mm wide

Kingdom Chromista
…Phylum Cryptista

Cryptomonas
Cryptomonas - about 45 µm

…Phylum Ciliophora – ciliates

Loxodes
Loxodes - about 185 µm
Loxodes
Loxodes - about 250 µm
Spirostomum
Spirostomum - about 300 µm
Stentor
Stentor - about 190 µm wide
Pleurostome
Pleurostomatida - about 110 µm
Strobilidium
Strobilidium - about 40 µm
Spirotrich
Spirotrichea - body about 50 µm
Colepid
Colepidae - about 45 µm
Ciliate
Ciliophora - about 120 µm
Cothurnia
Cothurnia - about 35 µm
Cothurnia
Cothurnia - about 60 µm
Vaginicolids
Vaginicolidae - case about 60 µm wide
Epistylis
Epistylis - bodies up to 100 µm
Epistylis
Epistylis - bodies up to 75 µm
Sessilid
Sessilida - body about 30 µm
Vorticellid
Vorticellidae - body about 40 µm
Vorticellid
Vorticellidae - body about 60 µm
Vorticellid
Vorticellidae - body about 70 µm
Vorticellid
Vorticellidae - body about 100 µm

…Phylum Ochrophyta – heterokont algae

Diatoms
Diatomeae - about 35 µm wide
Diatoms
Diatomeae - about 70, 30 µm
Diatom
Diatomeae - about 60 µm
Diatom
Diatomeae - about 75 µm
Diatom
Diatomeae - about 80 µm
Diatom
Diatomeae - about 95 µm
Nitzschia
Nitzschia - about 375 µm
Diatom
Diatomeae - about 40 µm
Diatoms
Diatomeae - about 60, 30 µm
Cocconeis
Cocconeis - about 20 µm
Diatom
Diatomeae - about 35 µm
Diatom shell
Diatomeae shell - about 140 µm
Diatom
Diatomeae - about 170 µm

Kingdom Protozoa
…Phylum Euglenozoa

Peranemid
Peranemidae - body about 60 µm
Euglenid
Euglenida - about 50 µm
Euglenid
Euglenida - about 65 µm
Euglenid
Euglenida - about 75 µm
Euglenid
Euglenida - about 100 µm

…Phylum Amoebozoa

Discosea
Discosea - about 65 µm
Amoebid
Amoebidae - about 110 µm
Tubulinea
Tubulinea - about 105 µm
Arcellinida shell
Arcellinida shell - about 105 µm

Kingdom Animalia
…Phylum Gnathifera – rotifers & allies

Rotaria neptunia
Rotaria neptunia - about 760 µm
Dissotrocha aculeata
Dissotrocha aculeata - about 60 µm wide
Ptygura
Ptygura - body about 30 µm wide
Ptygura
Ptygura - body about 35 µm wide
Floscularia
Floscularia - case about 190 µm wide
Limnias
Limnias - case about 80 µm wide
Collotheca
Collotheca - body about 140 µm
Gnesiotroch larva
Gnesiotrocha, larva - about 100 µm
Squatinella
Squatinella - about 170 µm
Colurella
Colurella - body about 55 µm
Lepadella
Lepadella - about 125 µm
Notommata
Notommata - about 145 µm
Monommata
Monommata - body about 80 µm
Ploima
Ploima - about 250 µm
Ploima
Ploima - body about 70 µm
Trichocerca
Trichocerca - body about 120 µm
Trichocerca
Trichocerca - body about 160 µm
Euchlanis
Euchlanis - body and foot about 300 µm
Lecane
Lecane - body about 85 µm
Lecane shell
Lecane shell - body about 130 µm
Lecane
Lecane - about 240 µm
Trichotria
Trichotria - body and foot about 220 µm
Mytilina
Mytilina - body about 185 µm
Scaridium
Scaridium - about 325 µm

…Phylum Gastrotricha

Chaetonotid
Chaetonotidae - about 145 µm

…Phylum Annelida – segmented worms

Naidid
Naididae - up to 125 µm wide
Naidid
Naididae - about 110-175 µm wide
Naidid
Naididae - up to 130 µm wide

…Phylum Platyhelminthes – flatworms

Dalyelliid
Dalyelliidae - about 445 µm

…Phylum Mollusca

Tadople snail
Physidae - shell about 2.3 mm

…Phylum Nematoda – roundworms

Roundworm
Nematoda - about 210 µm
Roundworm
Nematoda - about 530 µm

…Phylum Arthropoda – insects, crustaceans & allies

Podocopid
Podocopida - body about 180 µm
Podocopid
Podocopida - about 635 µm
Cyclopoid
Cyclopoida - body about 830 µm
Copepod larva
Copepoda, larva - body about 75 µm
Copepod larva
Copepoda, larva - body about 155 µm
Scapholeberis
Scapholeberis - body about 275 µm
Simocephalus
Simocephalus - body about 1.1 mm
Ilyocryptus
Ilyocryptus - body about 480 µm
Chydorid
Chydoridae - about 210 µm
Damselfly larva
Odonata, larva - body about 4.2 mm
Water bug larva
Hemiptera, larva - about 3.2 mm
Punkie larva
Ceratopogonidae, larva - body about 960 µm
Midge larva
Chironomidae, larva - about 1.6 mm
Haliplid larva
Haliplidae, larva - to about 0.4 mm wide

Uncertain objects

Unknown
Non-moving colony - envelope about 40 µm
Unknown
Scavenging protists - about 35 µm
Unknown
Stalked colony - cells 6-8 µm
Unknown
Attached egg - about 130 µm