Floscularia (Melicerta) ringens
A tube dwelling rotifer
Zeiss GFL Microscope
Objective: Zeiss x20 plan achromat
Ocular: Watson x8 compensating
Flash/brightfield, blue filter
Sample from garden pond 13-Dec-2004
Composite of two images (foreground and background)
Zeiss GFL microscope
Objective: Zeiss x10 plan achromat
Ocular: Watson x8 compensating
Substage: Zeiss DG condenser + blue filter
Flash (mk2 - direct fibre optic feed to 45 deg. coversliip splitter)
Camera: Canon Powershot S50
Testudinellidae
Zeiss GFL Microscope
Objective: Zeiss x20 plan achromat
Ocular: Watson x8 compensating
Flash/Brightfield
Sample from garden pond
By Differential Interference Contrast
Zeiss Standard GFL Microscope
Substage: Leitz ICT condenser
Objective: Leitz x40/0.70 NPL Fluotar ICT
Ocular: Watson x8 Compensating
Camera: Canon Powershot S50
Flash
ISO200, F4.9
Sample from garden pond, August 2006
By Differential Interference Contrast
Zeiss Standard GFL Microscope
Objective: Leitz 40/0.7 NPL ICT Fluotar
Substage: Leitz ICT
Ocular: Watson x8 Compensating
Camera: Canon Powershot S50
ISO200, F4.9, Flash
Sample from garden pond
August 2006
Habrotrochidae
A bdelloid rotifer, possibly Habrotrocha spp feeding
Zeiss GFL Microscope
Objective: Ross 1/4 inch
Ocular: Watson x8 Compensating
Brightfield
Sample from bowl of water in garden, 31-Oct2004
Camera: Canon Powershot S50
ISO 50, F7.1, 1/1500 sec
Philodinidae
Rotifer neptunis with Trachelomonas
Zeiss GFL Microscope
Objective: Zeiss x40 plan achromat
(Inset: Zeiss x10 plan achromat)
Ocular: Watson x8 compensating
Brightfield/flash
Camera: Canon Powershot S50
Sample from garden pond 13-Dec-2004
and another specimen a year later (24 Dec 2005)
Zeiss GFL Microscope
Objective: Zeiss x40 plan achromat
Ocular: Watson x8 compensating
Brightfield/flash
This rotifer is especially notable because of the extreme extension it can achieve - many times its contracted length.
Philodina roseola - Brightfield
Microscope: Zeiss Standard 16
Objective: Zeiss 25/0.45 plan achromat
Ocular: Zarf Canon G9 Adapter
Brightfield
Flash
Sample from Birdbath, Havant Nov 2007
Camera: Canon Powershot G9
Philodina roseola - DIC
Microscope: Zeiss Standard GFL
Ocular: Zeiss Kpl W 10/18
Objective: Leitz 40/0.7 NPL Fluotar ICT
Substage: Leitz ICT
Sample from birdbath/Havant Oct 2007
Camera: Canon Powershot S50
Philodina roseola, as its name suggests, often has a rose pink tint. It is frequently found in bird-baths in great numbers.
Collotheca
Click on this image to see an album of Collotheca images
These rotifers live in a gelatinous tube and catch their prey with a "net" of long fine cilia, or infundibulum
Olympus FH Microscope
Objective: Watson 40x Parachromat
smoked glass stripe phase plate (Wilska phase contrast)
Ocular: Olympus P15
Unidentified Rotifer
Zeiss GFL
Objective: Ross 1/4 inch (x30)
Ocular: Watson x8 Compensating
Brightfield
Camera: Canon Powershot S50
ISO 50, F8.0, 1/1500 sec
Manual combination of 4 images
Sample from garden pond, 11 Nov 2004
Squatinella
Microscope: Zeiss Standard 16
Ocular: Zarf G9 Adapter
Objective: Leitz 25/0.55 ICT NPL Fluotar
Substage: Leitz ICT
Camera: Canon Powershot G9/Vivitar flash
Sample from garden pond, Feb 2008
Trichocerta
Top image:
Zeiss GFL Microscope
Ocular: Zeiss x10 Kpl
Objective: x10 plan achromat
Brightfield/flash, ISO 50
Lower image:
Zeiss GFL microscope
Ocular: Zeiss x10 Kpl
Objective: Zeiss x10 plan achromat
Zeiss DG condenser (not flash because of glare with DG and x10 objective)
ISO 400, 1/30 sec
Camera: Canon Powershot S50
Mytilina sp
Microscope: Zeiss Standard 16
Ocular: Zarf G9 Adapter
Objective: 25/0.55 ICT NPL Fluotar
Substage: Leitz ICT
Camera: Canon Powershot G9/Vivitar 283 flash
Sample from Garden Pond, Jan 2008
View of upper body showing characteristic "horns"