Under The Microscope....!

[Mmathis]

These were from a slide that sat on the pond floor for about a week and a half to 2 weeks. I'll post the stills first, then work on getting the videos up as well.

Orange polka dots!

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Aeolosoma hemprichi

 

[tbendl]

Gesundheit Meyer.

 

[Mmathis]

Aeolosoma hemprichi

WOW! That is exactly what it was! I would never have found it on my own! So, it really does have "hairs," and why is it polka dotted? Don't reply just yet, though, 'cause now I want to look it up.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

WOW! That is exactly what it was! I would never have found it on my own! So, it really does have "hairs," and why is it polka dotted? Don't reply just yet, though, 'cause now I want to look it up.

Just pointing you in the right direction. The thrill is in the discovery and learning.

 

[Mmathis]

Just pointing you in the right direction. The thrill is in the discovery and learning.

Cool! Well, not a lot of information to be found, but found what I wanted to know! So this little critter is a beneficial pond organism -- a sludge-eater! The "dots" are oil deposits from things it's ingested. Is that just how they [the dots] manifest as they are ingested, and are they dependent on the environment it came from? And the "hairs" are for locmotion.

 

[Mmathis]

@Meyer Jordan And when you consider that it (there were actually 2 of them -- one was HUGE and hard to get to stay in one place to photograph it) was on a slide, sitting on the pond bottom -- what does that tell you about its function in the pond? Rhetorical question.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Cool! Well, not a lot of information to be found, but found what I wanted to know! So this little critter is a beneficial pond organism -- a sludge-eater! The "dots" are oil deposits from things it's ingested. Is that just how they [the dots] manifest as they are ingested, and are they dependent on the environment it came from? And the "hairs" are for locmotion.

Shows that for all of the advances in science that there is still so much that is unknown and to be discovered and learned. I have seen sources that state that the colored dots are glands and whose function, as yet, was still unknown. All of the creatures in the Annelid (worm) family are detritus consumers. They are a very important part of a pond's eco-system.
Here is a site that you may find interesting: https://www.microscopyu.com/moviegallery/pondscum/index.html

 

[Mmathis]

@Meyer Jordan Thanks for the link. I couldn't view the videos though, because they require FLASH, which isn't available for iPad.....

I have total respect for worms (the annelid kind, that is) and when I dig, I use a fork instead of a shovel! In fact, was just digging in the turtles' "worm pit," but not all of the wigglers I found today will live to see another day -- turtle food -- circle of life!

 

[peter hillman]

Just pointing you in the right direction. The thrill is in the discovery and learning.

Someone did that for me the other day here and I did learn something

 

[Mmathis]

Someone did that for me the other day here and I did learn something

Hey, that sounds familiar! Did it have anything to do with sunfish?

 

[peter hillman]

Hey, that sounds familiar! Did it have anything to do with sunfish?

Why yes, yes it did..

 

[Dave 54]

In our veiw its different from what was shown in the video you sent us
Its a sludge eating nematode worm Maggie they basically have taken over every nich some worms being benificial others are parasites

Dave

 

[Meyer Jordan]

I couldn't view the videos though, because they require FLASH, which isn't available for iPad.

Don't you have a 'puter?

 

[Mmathis]

Don't you have a 'puter?

Yes, but the iPad is too convenient. Excuses, excuses.....