MicroAquarium: Week Five

As usual, there seems to be little activity in the other two plants while the Uticularia gibba houses much activity. The mesh-like root system from the gibba I observed growing up the right side of the tank in week three of observations is growing thicker and spreading. I was surprised to see a great amount of activity in this system, observing the two species of Aeolosoma tangled all around the structure.

While searching the tank for other organisms, I large tadpole-like organism swam swiftly across my view. It was hard to find again due to its sporadic and quick nature and I was actually able to follow the organism by the naked eye, looking out of the sights of the microscope and using my naked eye to track the creature. I later found that this creature was a Copepod belonging to the genus Cyclops.

Cyclops species a. (Rainis and Russel, pg. 210).

There was also another interesting organism that I observed in the root-like system that meshed along the right side of the tank and also observed towards the bottom of the tank in groupings. This organism was flat and clear and did not make very sporadic movements. I later found that this organism belonged to the genus Euplotes with a specific species unable to be named.

Euplotes species a. (Patterson, pg. 213).
















Euplotes species a. (Patterson, pg. 213).

As you can see in the above image taken at a side view of the organism, the organism is flat and moves along by small appendages underneath itself.