Observation 3

Last week I noticed an incredible amount of activity in the aquarium.  Some peoples' micro-aquariums are losing activity as the weeks go on, but that is not the case for my project.  I'm seeing more organisms and more movement throughout the slide.  I used a microscope for searching throughout my micro-aquarium.  I noticed the midge again, which has grown bigger and is full of green food from the plants it consumes constantly.  I also discovered a flatworm (Stenostomum Tenuicuada) inching around the slide.  It moved very slowly but would react quickly if it ran into another organism (Ward & Whipple p. 336).

Another organism that took awhile to identify was the stylonychia, that flipped around in the same place for the entire time I observed it (Patterson, p. 123).  It remained in the one area, so I got to see it move for awhile (wish I had recorded a video).  The euplotes were in full force again; they are by far the most abundant species in my micro-aquarium.  I saw many of them hanging around the soil section of my slide. I did get a great view from the side of the ciliate which illustrates how the ventral cirri that characterizes the hypotrichs are used for movement over a substrate.  Thr adoral zone of the membranelle draws a current of water under the cell towards the cytosome; suspended particles may then be removed by the ciliate from the current (Patterson, p. 124).
One of the coolest moments of this entire experiment has been my observation of two water bears (tardigrada) (Pennak, p. 257).  Dr. McFarland explained that he had only seen a water bear once this year out of everyone's micro-aquariums!  I followed one around the water as it consumed every organism in its path.  I witnessed a euplotes in the wrong place at the wrong time, which was very cool.  The water bear looks like a caterpillar on a war path.  Finally, Dr. McFarland pointed out an arcella stationary in the water (Patterson, p. 91).  I didn't even know it was an organism, but it is a circular amoebae with a smooth exterior and a hole in the center.  I will post as many pictures as I can this next week, hopefully a few of the water bears.