MicroAquarium week 3 Observation 2

This week as I went and looked at my MicroAquarium Dr. McFarland put in a food pellet from Atison's Betta Food (Information seen below). One thing I noticed was that a bunch of the Micro Organisms were attracted to the food source. The past two weeks that I have been to observe my aquarium I have noticed a bunch of the same Micro-Organisms that I saw the first week; however, I did see organisms that I have not seen before but they were very fast moving and hard to focus on so it tough to even try to identify them.


"Atison's Betta Food" made by Ocean Nutrition, Aqua Pet Americas, 3528 West 500 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84104. Ingredients: Fish meal, wheat flower, soy meal, krill meal, minerals, vitamins and preservatives. Analysis: Crude Protein 36%; Crude fat 4.5%; Crude Fiber 3.5%; Moisture 8% and Ash 15%

One of the first things Dr McFarland identified was called Vorticella. Vorticella is a common pertrich ciliate. The only cilia that are present are the wreaths of feeding cilia made of an upper band, which corresponds to the undulating membrane (Patterson,1992, Figure 232, p. 113).

Image: Vorticella









The next organism Dr McFarland identified were Euplotes. Euplotes are a common and widespread hypotrich ciliate. The adoral zone of membranelles draws a current of water under the cell towards the cytostome suspended particles may then be removed by ciliate (Patterson, 1992, figure 259, p.124).

Image: Euplotes










Another organism Dr McFarlandidentified was called halteria. Halteria is an oligotrich ciliate. Most oligotrich use the adoral zone of membranelles for feeding and locomotion. Halteria not only has AZM  but also an equitorial girdle of stiff cirri, the action of which propels the cell with a bounding motion. This is a sufficiency distinctive trait for the genus to be identified from motion alone ( Patterson, 1992, figure 304, p.139).

Image: Halteria