Observation 5

Oocystic sp.
Information taken from: Handbook of Algae. Forest, Herman. The University of Tennessee Press. Knoxville, 1954.

Ulothrix sp.
Information taken from: Freshwater Algae: Their Microscopic World Explored. Lund, Hilda and Lund, John. Biopress Ltd. Bristol. 1995. pg. 66, fig. 103

This week in observation I discovered some more new organisms. One was a rotifer, or a micro invertebrate, specifically a philodina. This rotifer at first resembles a worm, but it's mouth contains a type of spinner that it uses to move longer distances at a fast pace. To move locally, it srunches it's body as a worm would. I first saw it in the left bottom corner in the soil deposit.

Along with the rotifer, I also found several new green algae. The first is called Oocystic sp. and is characterized by circular membrane sheath with several oval shaped cells clustered inside the membrane, with several other colonies in the surrounding area. It can also usually be found with cyanobacteria winding in between the colonies. The other green algae was called Ulothrix sp. and is rod shaped. The cells can be seen within the membrane. It is found with several other algae around it, include colony algae and other Ulothrix sp.

I also saw several Pseudopodia, mainly the common amoeba found in several area around the aquarium. More single celled organisms have also appeared, mostly in the areas around and in between the plant A and plant B. Scott, my cyclops was found moving through the soil deposit , coming into full view for only a few minutes.