Amphidinium predator discovery

[yeldarbj]

I'm in the middle of a battle with what I assume to be amphidinium dinoflagellates. I'm dosing nitrates, phosphates, and silica in order to increase populations of diatoms, cyano, and other algae. After several weeks, I'm starting to see bigger populations of each of those which in turn is providing habitat for other critters. I check several samples each week just to see what is going on microscopically. I came across this guy with what appears to be a body full of amphidinium. Any ideas of what it is? I assume it's a larval stage of some pod. I just need to keep increasing my population of them.

 

[dwest]

I'm in the middle of a battle with what I assume to be amphidinium dinoflagellates. I'm dosing nitrates, phosphates, and silica in order to increase populations of diatoms, cyano, and other algae. After several weeks, I'm starting to see bigger populations of each of those which in turn is providing habitat for other critters. I check several samples each week just to see what is going on microscopically. I came across this guy with what appears to be a body full of amphidinium. Any ideas of what it is? I assume it's a larval stage of some pod. I just need to keep increasing my population of them.

That’s cool! Hey @taricha

 

[RMS18]

Very cool, hope we can get an Id on that guy!

 

[taricha]

Tardigrade?!?!
Marine tardigrade pic

Water bears are one of the coolest organisms on earth. I've only seen them in my aquarium samples once or twice.

 

[yeldarbj]

Thanks for the id. Water bears are amazing!

 

[Spare time]

I might buy some tardigrades lol https://www.wardsci.com/store/product/8892340/water-bear

 

[RMS18]

I might buy some tardigrades lol https://www.wardsci.com/store/product/8892340/water-bear

Nice! Will those work in marine environments?

 

[yeldarbj]

They apparently can survive in the vacuum of space.

 

[Spare time]

Nice! Will those work in marine environments?

I would contact the company to see

 

[Daniel@R2R]

That's REALLY COOL!

 

[Wampatom]

Wow great. It certainly looks like dinos in the organism. Did you see the tardigrade actually eat one? The body is quite transparent so dinos might show through.

 

[Miller535]

How do we know that the organism is not just simply crawling on top of the dino? Especially since he is very obviously relatively see through. Not trying to be a debbie downer here, just saying.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Thats it, im getting a microscope

 

[taricha]

How do we know that the organism is not just simply crawling on top of the dino? Especially since he is very obviously relatively see through. Not trying to be a debbie downer here, just saying.

I actually looked into this a bit. It seems really unlikely those are whole dinos ingested by the tardigrade. Tardigrades eat by piercing/sucking.
This paper:
Form and function of the feeding apparatus in Eutardigrada (Tardigrada) -Roberto Guidetti
shows the morphology of the tardigrade mouthparts.

Mouth opening is only a few microns wide. Whole dino cell ingestion doesn't seem possible.

Could find no reference to tardigrades eating dinoflagellates, but they do prey on diatoms - by piercing and sucking out the cell contents.
Check this video at 2:42. Sucking out the insides of a diatom. So cool.
how do tardigrades feed?

 

[dwest]

I actually looked into this a bit. It seems really unlikely those are whole dinos ingested by the tardigrade. Tardigrades eat by piercing/sucking.
This paper:
Form and function of the feeding apparatus in Eutardigrada (Tardigrada) -Roberto Guidetti
shows the morphology of the tardigrade mouthparts.

Mouth opening is only a few microns wide. Whole dino cell ingestion doesn't seem possible.

Could find no reference to tardigrades eating dinoflagellates, but they do prey on diatoms - by piercing and sucking out the cell contents.
Check this video at 2:42. Sucking out the insides of a diatom. So cool.
how do tardigrades feed?

My wife said she’s gonna have nightmares now

 

[taricha]

My wife said she’s gonna have nightmares now

yeah, I should have qualified. "So cool" and also freaky and disturbing to some viewers.

 

[Ben Pedersen]

I actually looked into this a bit. It seems really unlikely those are whole dinos ingested by the tardigrade. Tardigrades eat by piercing/sucking.
This paper:
Form and function of the feeding apparatus in Eutardigrada (Tardigrada) -Roberto Guidetti
shows the morphology of the tardigrade mouthparts.

Mouth opening is only a few microns wide. Whole dino cell ingestion doesn't seem possible.

Could find no reference to tardigrades eating dinoflagellates, but they do prey on diatoms - by piercing and sucking out the cell contents.
Check this video at 2:42. Sucking out the insides of a diatom. So cool.
how do tardigrades feed?

Really amazing video!

 

[ScottB]

I was messing with the scope yesterday, trying to figure out if I have some kind of acro parasite. Amazing what is living in a sample of visually clear water at (I think) 1000X.

 

[Arthur_Dent]

Here are some vids I took last night. I don't really do "the science", but thought it was interesting. Having a large cell amphdinium nightmare, and thought this guy was helping in the fight.

 

[ScottB]

Here are some vids I took last night. I don't really do "the science", but thought it was interesting. Having a large cell amphdinium nightmare, and thought this guy was helping in the fight.

I hereby nominate you for the most prestigious (made up) award:

Dinoflagellate Cinematographer of the Year Award!!!

In the first film around 4:20, just as the beat drops back in, you can see the pod taking one down. And you can see several consumed dinos in the thorax. Awesome work.

LC Amphids are the least toxic, so I am not surprised to see this.