Rare find (for me)

Post your images made through a compound microscope or made with a stereo/dissecting microscope in this gallery. Images may be of any subject natural or unnatural, living or non-living.

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micron
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Rare find (for me)

Post by micron »

The last time I recall seeing a Volvox was as a teenager in Winnipeg so I was pleasantly surprised to find one in a sample from a pond in a local park. These globe shaped spherical colonies of thousands of green algae are difficult to image effectively. I tried to collect enough images for stacking but the constant movement of the colony thwarted my best efforts. Hopefully this picture gives some idea of the shape (darkfield insert) and the individual flagellates that make up the colony. (The bright green globes inside are daughter colonies.)

Image

Nikon Coolpix 4500
Zeiss Photomicroscope II
Leitz Periplan 10x/18 (519488)
Nikon CFN Planapo 4x/0.20 (insert)
Zeiss Plan-Neofluar multi-immersion phase 25x/0.80
Zeiss achromatic-aplanatic VZ NA 1.4 phase condenser
Electronic flash – phase contrast
Paint Shop Pro 7.0 – auto contrast

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piotr
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Post by piotr »

Great image, Ron, and I wish I have found one, too. One of the most beautiful microorganisms.
Piotr

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Ken Ramos
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Post by Ken Ramos »

Nice :!: Never seen one personally Ron, would like to someday soon. You did a very good job with this, stacked or not. Thanks :D
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Charles Krebs
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Post by Charles Krebs »

Ron.... they are wonderful creatures alright, and a challange to photograph! I found a few last spring, and hope to be so lucky again. Nice pictures.

Wim van Egmond
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Post by Wim van Egmond »

Congratulations and a very nice set of images!

Ron, it is worth trying to find out waters of good quality. Isn't there an institution where they observe and document the water quality near you? They might give you tips where to find special water conditions. I think nutrient poor conditions give different and perhaps contains more species than water with a lot of nutrients.

Wim

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micron
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Post by micron »

I was definitely lucky to find Volvox, thanks for the feedback on the images - I would have killed to get stackable DF images!

Wim, I agree nutrient rich habitats tend to have less diversity and, in many cases, more biomass then more balanced habitats. I live in suburbia so finding a clean pond means traveling at least 30 miles or so. The local government does a bit of sampling but not enough to find suitable habitats. They are “fish driven” – ponds are not on their radar.

Wim van Egmond
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Post by Wim van Egmond »

I understand, Ron,

I also live in a big city and I have to travel far too! But if you know a marsh with good water it could be worth a trip because these waters and the algae in it can be kept alive and healthy for a very long time. The acidity prevents that it decayes fast. I had a dish with Micrasterias and half a year later they were still there!

Wim

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