Microscopy Thread

[RobertK]

@revhtree HOW COOL IS THAT?!
I didn't know you guys were promoting threads in this way now?!

Wow, you're on the front page EnterName!

 

[mcarroll]

Pretty surprising they didn't do this much much sooner.

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

We love good threads!!!

Thank you!

 

[EnterName]

All the weird things

Note: This post might not be displayed correctly in the app, use a browser instead!
​

By now, this thread has accumulated quite a few posts showing specimens that were never properly identified. Here is a quick overview of them, along with a few that never made it into a post. Maybe someone recognizes one of them, or has at least seen them in their own tank:

(Post 224)

(No post - Egg?)

(No post - Egg?)

(Post 125 - Some kind of hydroid, but which one?)

(Post 39)

(Post 39)

(No post)

(No post, chrysophytes and some diatoms?)

(No post, chrysophytes among some diatoms?)

(Post 223)

(Post 149 - A ciliate, but which one?)

(Post 94 - Possibly some kind of fungus/mold)

(Post 218 - A dinoflagellate, but which one?)

(No post, another dinoflagellate?)
​

 

[RobertK]

Found this little critter in the water column, collected with a 25 micron sieve. Is it a rotifer? 400X.

 

[RobertK]

Here's another cool looking critter I found in the water column tonight. Also 400X.

 

[RobertK]

Then there was this thing, also seen here at 400X. About the same size as an ostreopsis dinoflagellate. No idea what it is, looks like something you'd see on a Grateful Dead t-shirt!

 

[EnterName]

@RobertK the first one should actually be a rotifer like you said. The last one looks like an oversized fungi spore. Really interesting...

 

[RobertK]

Found another rotifer, this one is different than the one I posted yesterday. I think this one is from genus Colurella (C. adriatica?) and the one from yesterday I think is genus Brachionus.

 

[Dan_P]

@revhtree HOW COOL IS THAT?!
I didn't know you guys were promoting threads in this way now?!

Well deserved recognition! What’s next, your own forum???

 

[EnterName]

@revhtree HOW COOL IS THAT?!
I didn't know you guys were promoting threads in this way now?!

Well deserved recognition! What’s next, your own forum???

Thank you Dan
Maybe in 10 to 20 years, once I've finally gathered some experience

I hope more people get into microscopy a little bit, not for diagnostic purposes, just for the fun of it, so we can compare and identify our findings together as a community. @RobertK, @christinna77, and a few others have already made some really cool contributions here and have added a lot of value to this thread.

I think there is a lot of potential. Diatoms, for example, are sometimes used to evaluate water quality. From playing around with nutrient levels in my tank, I can say that the ratio between cells of different genera changes visibly depending on those levels. Certain diatoms also seem to correlate with the appearance and disappearance of certain dinoflagellates in my tank, and their chloroplast density and shape sometimes changes as well. It would be great if other members could test this, too, as I don't think I will be able to set up conclusive experiments regarding this on my own.

 

[Dan_P]

Thank you Dan
Maybe in 10 to 20 years, once I've finally gathered some experience

I hope more people get into microscopy a little bit, not for diagnostic purposes, just for the fun of it, so we can compare and identify our findings together as a community. @RobertK, @christinna77, and a few others have already made some really cool contributions here and have added a lot of value to this thread.

I think there is a lot of potential. Diatoms, for example, are sometimes used to evaluate water quality. From playing around with nutrient levels in my tank, I can say that the ratio between cells of different genera changes visibly depending on those levels. Certain diatoms also seem to correlate with the appearance and disappearance of certain dinoflagellates in my tank, and their chloroplast density and shape sometimes changes as well. It would be great if other members could test this, too, as I don't think I will be able to set up conclusive experiments regarding this on my own.

I have observed the chloroplast change in diatoms in population that were declining. Not only that, but I observed microscopic “oil droplets”, the color of which was the same as the inside of the diatoms. To confirm that the oil droplets were diatom derived, I used a coverslip to smash the diatoms in a sample with no oil droplers and produced a massive amount. I have seen oil droplets in the past but never investigated them until now. I assume the appearance of these droplets correspond to dying diatoms.

 

[EnterName]

Thank you Dan
Maybe in 10 to 20 years, once I've finally gathered some experience

I hope more people get into microscopy a little bit, not for diagnostic purposes, just for the fun of it, so we can compare and identify our findings together as a community. @RobertK, @christinna77, and a few others have already made some really cool contributions here and have added a lot of value to this thread.

I think there is a lot of potential. Diatoms, for example, are sometimes used to evaluate water quality. From playing around with nutrient levels in my tank, I can say that the ratio between cells of different genera changes visibly depending on those levels. Certain diatoms also seem to correlate with the appearance and disappearance of certain dinoflagellates in my tank, and their chloroplast density and shape sometimes changes as well. It would be great if other members could test this, too, as I don't think I will be able to set up conclusive experiments regarding this on my own.

I have observed the chloroplast change in diatoms in population that were declining. Not only that, but I observed microscopic “oil droplets”, the color of which was the same as the inside of the diatoms. To confirm that the oil droplets were diatom derived, I used a coverslip to smash the diatoms in a sample with no oil droplers and produced a massive amount. I have seen oil droplets in the past but never investigated them until now. I assume the appearance of these droplets correspond to dying diatoms.

The chloroplast density seems to change as well as the color sometimes. But as I have never gotten below 300μg/L Si in my tank, I think I have never really seen a large scale diatom die-off just a transition between species. I will try squashing some diatoms later to see what you are talking about

Do you mean those "oil droplets"?

 

[Dan_P]

The chloroplast density seems to change as well as the color sometimes. But as I have never gotten below 300μg/L Si in my tank, I think I have never really seen a large scale diatom die-off just a transition between species. I will try squashing some diatoms later to see what you are talking about

Do you mean those "oil droplets"?

Yes, but even to the point of filling the entire cell. Outside the cells the oil droplets ranged in size, suggesting that they might be coalescing. My poor diatoms were clearly stressed :-)

 

[EnterName]

Yes, but even to the point of filling the entire cell. Outside the cells the oil droplets ranged in size, suggesting that they might be coalescing. My poor diatoms were clearly stressed :-)

Didn't work out the way I expected, I want my money back Dan! Looks like normal, "solid", Diatom contents... not liquid/oily and coalescing.

To be fair, the species-balance has shifted again so most of the diatoms weren't the "bubble"-containing Licmophora species anymore and I'm back to these guys instead:

But I cropped around two species that do contain these blobs/flakes and they don't seem to merge. I assume diatoms are thriving too much in my tank right now.

 

[Dan_P]

Didn't work out the way I expected, I want my money back Dan! Looks like normal, "solid", Diatom contents... not liquid/oily and coalescing.

To be fair, the species-balance has shifted again so most of the diatoms weren't the "bubble"-containing Licmophora species anymore and I'm back to these guys instead:

But I cropped around two species that do contain these blobs/flakes and they don't seem to merge. I assume diatoms are thriving too much in my tank right now.

No money back guarentee!

I had pinnate diatoms (shouldn’t matter) as pictured above and imagine the cell almost completely filled with a clear blue-green substance rather than the textured golden filling. Weird, right? I assume serious health issues, being expressed as high lipid levels containing dissolved chlorophyll. My diatoms had been growing under nitrogen depleted condition for many weeks with plenty of silicate. As I said above, I have seen this before and had assumed the perfectly clear, blue-green spheres were some sort of algae. Probably a source for diesel fuel.

 

[Freenow54]

Reef2Reef Microscopy Thread ​

Your tank is packed with life you might have never noticed: rotifers, protists, larval worms, sponges, micro algae, etc. Most of it is smaller than a grain of salt but still absolutely fascinating. This thread is where the Reef2Reef community can take a closer look at what lives "hidden" in our tanks.

Using DIC microscopy, a technique that turns transparent, near-invisible critters into glowing 3D sculptures of light and shadow, I'll be posting high-res images and videos of whatever's crawling, swimming, or drifting through our reef tanks. Everyone is invited to share their microscopy images/videos as well!

No Microscope? No problem. You don't need one to enjoy this thread nor to pursue the hobby. It can be a lot of fun though and help with the proper identification of what you are dealing with.

I hope you enjoy the first few images I have taken for this thread:

1. Amphiprion ocellaris (Common Clownfish) eggs.

(Clownfish egg - Day 1)

(Clownfish egg - Day 5)
It is astonishing how much changes within a few days.​

2. Coral samples

(Briareum sp. polyp with dense zooxanthellae population)
These little orange circles are Symbiodinium sp. (dinoflagellates) living in symbiosis with their host coral to provide energy via photosynthesis in exchange for anorganic molecules and a safe place to stay. Most of you may know them as "zooxanthellae".

(Rhodactis sp. "Rhodactis Plutonium" cnidocytes and some zooxanthellae)
Ever wondered how corals defend themselves? These bean shaped cells are everywhere on corals and will literally shoot a toxin-loaded string (cnidocyst, well visible on the image) into whatever activates them.

(Briareum sp. "sclerite")
Even though Briareum spp. are considered a soft coral they still grow these calcitic spicules that act as a skeleton. These are mainly found in the tissue that is growing on the rocks and holds the polyps in place.
​

3. Various critters

(Some Ostracod I found in the stomach of a flatworm)
Armored crusaceans that you can find sifting through detritus in the substrate. They can look a bit creepy when moving around, but they are beneficial and harmless.

(Juvenile Flatworm. This specimen should be an "Acoel Flatworm". They can be distinguished from "Ghost Flatworms" by their darker coloration caused by their Zooxanthellae. See post #85)
There are thousands of different flatworm species, most of them aren't welcome in a reef tank, but these ones are "ok". Their population can explode and they eat copepods, but at least they don't harm corals, fish, or inverts. This specimen was maybe 1mm in length, but they can grow up to like 4mm.
​

4. Algae and Protists

(Dinoflagellate, Ostreopsis sp.)
One of the more dangerous dinoflagellates due to its toxicity, but finding a few single cells from time to time is absolutely normal and nothing to worry about. I had quite a lot of them for some time, but the toxin never really became an issue. My copperband butterflyfish even ate a lot of them every time I scraped the glass clean. I frequently found them together with diatoms.

(Dinoflagellate, Prorocentrum sp., maybe P. lima?)
Another dinoflagellate species I had a lot of for some time. Their numbers grew proportional to the diatom population which might suggest they are preying on diatoms or simply thrive in the same environments.

(Diatom, possibly Licmophora sp.)
These little guys are very abundant in my tank. They attach to pretty much every surface they can find and make up a major portion of the stuff that needs to be scraped off of my tank glass.


Equipment​

Most images are taken with my Leica/Leitz DMRB microscope using DIC microscopy and focus stacking (some are dark-field or simple bright-field microscopy images though). I started posting photos using a Sony A7iii to take images, but am now using a Sony α6100 as APS-C sensors work better with microscopes than full-frame sensors.

Table of Contents​

Posts (ordered by date):
[Photo+Video] cf. Amphidinium sp. (Page 1, Post #3)
[Video] Polychaete (Page 1, Post #4)
[Video] Parenchymella larvae of a sponge (Page 1, Post #6)
[Photo] Bubble algae (Page 1, Post #8)
[Photo] Copepod nauplii (Page 1, Post #11)
[Video] Dinophilidae worm (Page 1, Post #12)
[Photo+Video] Diatoms, likely Cylindrotheca sp.? or Nitzschia sp.? (Page 1, Post #16)
[Video] Sabellidae sp.? or Serpulidae sp.? tube-worm (Page 2, Post #24)
[Video] Unknown specimen & possibly tubeworm larvae (Page 2, Post #39)
[Video] Collection of short clips (Page 2, Post #40)
[Video] Unidentified, most likely Trachelocercid ciliate (Page 3, Post #46)
[Video] Spawning Rock Anemone + Gametes (Page 3, Post #50)
[Video] Hydroid Medusa (Page 3, Post #51)
[Photo+Video] Cyanobacteria (Spirulina sp.?) (Page 3, Post #52)
[Photo] Branched Halymenia (Halymenia durvillei) (Page 3, Post #60)
[Video] Digitate Hydroid (Page 4, Post #61)
[Photo] Ball Sponges (Tethya sp.?) (Page 4, Post #68)
[Photo] Sea lettuce (Ulva sp.? or Ulvaria sp.?) (Page 4, Post #69)
[Photo+Video] Colonial Hydroid, possibly belonging to the Campanulariidae family, (Page 4, Post #80)
[Photo+Video] Spirorbid worm (Page 5, Post #81)
[Photo+Video] Sponge, possibly Clathrina sp. (Page 5, Post #82)
[Photo+Video] Pineapple Sponge, Sycon sp. (Page 5, Post #83)
[Video] Another Dinophilidae worm? (Page 5, Post #84)
[Photo+Video] Acoel Flatworm (Heterochaerus sp.?) (Page 5, Post #85)
[Photo] Unidentified diatoms (Page 5, Post #91)
[Photo+Video] Nematodes (Page 5, Post #92)
[Video] Trachelocercidae Ciliate? (Page 5, Post #93)
[Photo] Unidentified specimen (Page 5, Post #94)
[Video] Euplotida Cililate (Aspidisca sp.?) (Page 5, Post #100)
[Photo+Video] Cat Sea Slug (Vayssierea cf. felis) (Page 6, Post #101)
[Photo+Video] Tanaid? (Page 6, Post #102)
[Photo+Video] Zoospores (Page 6, Post #103)
[Photo+Video] Munnidae Isopod (Page 6, Post #106)
[Video] Euplotida Ciliate (Euplotes sp.?) (Page 7, Post #123)
[Video] Aiptasia sp.?/Exaiptasia sp.? (Page 7, Post #124)
[Video] Anthoathecata, possibly Capitata (Page 7, Post #125)
[Video] Convolutriloba sp. flatworm (Page 7, Post #127)
[Photo+Video] Cryptophyceae (Unknown sp.) (Page 7, Post #136)
[Video] Pathogens & Opportunists (unidentified Ciliates and bacteria) (Page 8, Post #144)
[Video] Brachionus plicatilis (Rotifer) (Page 8, Post #146)
[Video] Filter sock findings (mostly unidentified Ciliates) (Page 8, Post #149)
[Video] Heliozoa (Page 8, Post #157)
[Video] Amoeboid (Tubulinea?) (Page 8, Post #158)
[Video] Polychaete (larvae?), maybe order Spionida? (Page 8, Post #159)
[Video] Unknown ciliate (Urostylida or Condylostoma?) (Page 9, Post #170)
[Photo+Video] Tetraselmis suecica phytoplankton (Page 10, Post #190)
[Photo+Video] Ostreopsis spp. dinoflagellates (Page 10, Post #193)
[Photo] Snail Eggs (Vittina waigiensis) (Page 10, Post #200)
[Video] Cyanobacteria (Oscillatoriales?) (Page 11, Post #203)
[Photo+Video] Cryptic Sponge (Page 11, Post #206)
[Video] Dinoflagellate (Gymnodinium sp.? / Heterocapsa sp.?) (Page 11, Post #218)

Posts (ordered by specimen):

Algae
[Photo] Bubble algae (Page 1, Post #8)
[Photo] Branched Halymenia (Halymenia durvillei) (Page 3, Post #60)
[Photo] Sea lettuce (Ulva sp.? or Ulvaria sp.?) (Page 4, Post #69)
[Photo+Video] Zoospores (Page 6, Post #103)
[Photo+Video] Cryptophyceae (Unknown sp.) (Page 7, Post #136)
[Photo+Video] Tetraselmis suecica phytoplankton (Page 10, Post #190)

Bacteria
[Photo+Video] Cyanobacteria (Spirulina sp.?) (Page 3, Post #52)
[Video] Pathogens & Opportunists (unidentified Cliates and bacteria) (Page 8, Post #144)
[Video] Cyanobacteria (Oscillatoriales?) (Page 11, Post #203)

Ciliates & Rotifers
[Video] Unidentified, most likely Trachelocercid ciliate (Page 3, Post #46)
[Video] Trachelocercidae Ciliate? (Page 5, Post #93)
[Video] Euplotida Ciliate (Aspidisca sp.?) (Page 5, Post #100)
[Video] Euplotida Ciliate (Euplotes sp.?) (Page 7, Post #123)
[Video] Brachionus plicatilis (Rotifer) (Page 8, Post #146)
[Video] Pathogens & Opportunists (unidentified Cliates and bacteria) (Page 8, Post #144)
[Video] Filter sock findings (mostly unidentified Ciliates) (Page 8, Post #149)
[Video] Unknown ciliate (Urostylida or Condylostoma?) (Page 9, Post #170)

Corals
[Video] Spawning Rock Anemone + Gametes (Page 3, Post #50)
[Video] Aiptasia sp.? / Exaiptasia sp.? (Page 7, Post #124)

Crustaceans
[Photo] Copepod nauplii (Page 1, Post #11)
[Photo+Video] Tanaid? (Page 6, Post #102)
[Photo+Video] Munnidae Isopod (Page 6, Post #106)

Diatoms
[Photo] Licmophora sp. (Page 1, Post #1, this very post)
[Photo+Video] Diatoms, likely Cylindrotheca sp.? or Nitzschia sp.? (Page 1, Post #16)
[Photo] Unidentified diatoms (Page 5, Post #91)

Dinoflagellates & Protists
[Photo] cf. Prorocentrum sp. & cf. Ostreopsis sp. (Page 1, Post #1, this very post)
[Photo+Video] cf. Amphidinium spp. dinoflagellates (Page 1, Post #3)
[Photo+Video] Ostreopsis spp. dinoflagellates (Page 10, Post #193)
[Video] Dinoflagellate (Gymnodinium sp.? / Heterocapsa sp.?) (Page 11, Post #218)

Hydrozoa
[Video] Hydroid Medusa (Page 3, Post #51)
[Video] Digitate Hydroid (Page 4, Post #61)
[Photo+Video] Colonial Hydroid, possibly belonging to the Campanulariidae family, (Page 4, Post #80)
[Video] Anthoathecata, possibly Capitata (Page 7, Post #125)

Mollusks
[Video] Cat Sea Slug (Vayssierea cf. felis) (Page 6, Post #101)
[Photo] Snail Eggs (Vittina waigiensis) (Page 10, Post #200)

Sponges
[Video] Parenchymella larvae of a sponge (Page 1, Post #6)
[Photo] Ball Sponges (Tethya sp.) (Page 4, Post #68)
[Photo+Video] Root-like growing sponge, possibly Clathrina sp.? (Page 5, Post #82)
[Photo+Video] Pineapple Sponge, Sycon sp. (Page 5, Post #83)
[Photo+Video] Cryptic Sponge (Page 11, Post #206)

Worms
[Video] Polychaete (Page 1, Post #4)
[Video] Dinophilidae worm (Page 1, Post #12)
[Video] Sabellidae or Serpulidae tubeworm (Page 2, Post #24)
[Photo+Video] Spirorbid worm (Page 5, Post #81)
[Video] Another Dinophilidae worm? (Page 5, Post #84)
[Photo+Video] Acoel Flatworm (Heterochaerus sp.?) (Page 5, Post #85)
[Photo+Video] Nematodes (Page 5, Post #92)
[Video] Polychaete (larvae?), maybe order Spionida? (Page 8, Post #159)

Other
[Video] Unknown specimen & possibly tubeworm larvae (Page 2, Post #39)
[Video] Collection of short clips (Page 2, Post #40)
[Photo] Unidentified specimen (Page 5, Post #94)
[Photo] Unidentified specimen, possibly Foraminifera (Patellina cf. corrugata) (Page 8, Post #150)
[Video] Heliozoa (Page 8, Post #157)
[Video] Amoeboid (Tubulinea?) (Page 8, Post #158)

Amazing stuff BUTT the name made me cringe

 

[EnterName]

Amazing stuff BUTT the name made me cringe

Suggest a better one

 

[Freenow54]

Microscopic Study