When I looked at it under the microscope I found that the mass was actually made up of thousands of long, fine, transparent tubes, made by a species of tube-dwelling diatom. I had never seen one before and found it very bizarre and interesting.
Tube-dwelling diatoms
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Charles Krebs
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- Location: Issaquah, WA USA
Tube-dwelling diatoms
I took a sample of what looked like brown algae that was growing on a rock face that had water seepage flowing over it. (This was in the Quinault River valley here in Washington).
When I looked at it under the microscope I found that the mass was actually made up of thousands of long, fine, transparent tubes, made by a species of tube-dwelling diatom. I had never seen one before and found it very bizarre and interesting.
When I looked at it under the microscope I found that the mass was actually made up of thousands of long, fine, transparent tubes, made by a species of tube-dwelling diatom. I had never seen one before and found it very bizarre and interesting.
I have seen them on stalks but never in tubes. They remind me of Cymbella to some extent. Are they? I will have to pay more attention to the rocks in my streams here in WNC. Beautiful images Charlie! This will give me something to look for. 
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Kenneth Ramos
Rutherfordton, North Carolina
Kens Microscopy
Reposts of my images within the galleries are welcome, as are constructive critical critiques.
Kenneth Ramos
Rutherfordton, North Carolina
Kens Microscopy
Reposts of my images within the galleries are welcome, as are constructive critical critiques.
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bernhardinho
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- Location: Bochum,Germany
Hello Charles,
in my german book " Der Algenführer" (i.e. Guide to freshwateralgae) there is a picture very similar to yours ( well, yours is ten times better, of course) .It is a Cymbella and it says in the text that this algae either adheres to substrate by stalks or by the formation of colonies in jelly tubes. So this seems to be rathter common. I haven´t seen it yet either.
Best wishes
Bernhard Lebeda
in my german book " Der Algenführer" (i.e. Guide to freshwateralgae) there is a picture very similar to yours ( well, yours is ten times better, of course) .It is a Cymbella and it says in the text that this algae either adheres to substrate by stalks or by the formation of colonies in jelly tubes. So this seems to be rathter common. I haven´t seen it yet either.
Best wishes
Bernhard Lebeda
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gpmatthews
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As always, a wonderful photo, Charlie. This is reminiscent of a marine sample I photographed a couple of years ago. I've posted them under a new topic at http://www.photomacrography1.net/forum/ ... php?t=4652
Graham
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rjlittlefield
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And in the category of "Things You Didn't Know Because You Never Asked"...
How do diatoms reproduce?
These gorgeous pictures prompted me to wonder about that.
So I looked it up. Fascinating stuff! I'm sure the diatom aficionados among us already know all this, but for the benefit of other curious folks like myself...
Most of the time, diatoms reproduce by asexual division. But there's a catch.
The "valve" (shell) of a diatom comprises two halves, one slightly larger than the other, that partially nest like the top and bottom of a shoebox. Each half is rigid and does not grow once formed.
When a diatom divides, one half of the parent's valve goes with each offspring. No problem...except that each offspring then grows a new inner half, instead of just replacing the missing half whichever that might be. So, one offspring ends up the same size as the parent, the other one is a bit smaller.
Carried out generation after generation, this process by itself would result in a line of progressively smaller and smaller offspring. Not viable as a long-term strategy!
To escape from the trap of shrinking offspring, diatoms periodically switch modes and reproduce sexually. The offspring of the sexual generation grow to full size before forming their shells and beginning a new series of divisions.
Much good information is easily found by Googling diatom reproduction. One good hit is to http://www.geosciences.unl.edu/~dbennet ... ction.html, where it is noted that
Charlie, thanks one more time for the fantastic images. There's just nothing like a good photograph to stimulate the ol' curiosity
--Rik
How do diatoms reproduce?
These gorgeous pictures prompted me to wonder about that.
So I looked it up. Fascinating stuff! I'm sure the diatom aficionados among us already know all this, but for the benefit of other curious folks like myself...
Most of the time, diatoms reproduce by asexual division. But there's a catch.
The "valve" (shell) of a diatom comprises two halves, one slightly larger than the other, that partially nest like the top and bottom of a shoebox. Each half is rigid and does not grow once formed.
When a diatom divides, one half of the parent's valve goes with each offspring. No problem...except that each offspring then grows a new inner half, instead of just replacing the missing half whichever that might be. So, one offspring ends up the same size as the parent, the other one is a bit smaller.
Carried out generation after generation, this process by itself would result in a line of progressively smaller and smaller offspring. Not viable as a long-term strategy!
To escape from the trap of shrinking offspring, diatoms periodically switch modes and reproduce sexually. The offspring of the sexual generation grow to full size before forming their shells and beginning a new series of divisions.
Much good information is easily found by Googling diatom reproduction. One good hit is to http://www.geosciences.unl.edu/~dbennet ... ction.html, where it is noted that
I have added the emphasis. Thinking of the recent community forum thread, I wonder if documenting sexual reproduction in more species of diatoms would be a worthy "project" for some community. Sounds like it would not be an easy one, though!Diatoms can reproduce in two different ways, sexual and asexual. They also may, but not necessarily, pass through a seed-like phase known as the resting spore. Sexual reproduction has been documented in only a few diatom species. In the case of Pseudo-nitzschia spp., in each generation, only cells of a suitable size can sexually reproduce (in Pseudo-nitzschia, this may occur only once every three years. That's why sexual reproduction is still so little known.)
Charlie, thanks one more time for the fantastic images. There's just nothing like a good photograph to stimulate the ol' curiosity
--Rik
One word Charles "outstanding" When you find something new, we all share in your discovery and thank you Rik, I learn something new everyday here, either by people posting their knowledge or making me more interested that I have to look up more than I know. I love this place !!! 
Take Nothing but Pictures--Leave Nothing but Footprints.
Doug Breda
Canon PowerShot S1 IS with Canon 250D closeup lens
Doug Breda
Canon PowerShot S1 IS with Canon 250D closeup lens
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Wim van Egmond
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Super quality images!
I have never seen freshwater diatoms that make tubes. But in marine water there are diatoms that have tubes that are very big and resemble small plants. You can find them growing on red algae. But it is a different species than this.
http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/micropo ... ame11.html
Wim
I have never seen freshwater diatoms that make tubes. But in marine water there are diatoms that have tubes that are very big and resemble small plants. You can find them growing on red algae. But it is a different species than this.
http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/micropo ... ame11.html
Wim