Chlorosis on Myriophyllum Spicatum
This was accompanied by what can only be described as either patches of detritus or possibly eggs of some unknown organism appearing in the petiole region of the branch. It seemed that helping the chlorosis along (or possibly cleaning up after it) were several copepods (poster on the wall in Rm. 202, unknown origin).
The copepods were best described (as I was unable to capture a picture of one) as oval in shape with long tails protruding from invaginations in their outer surface. I thought that I had seen them use their tails as a sort of anchor while they fed on plants, but Dr. McFarland told me that what I witnessed was not their typical behavior, so it is entirely possible that what I saw was a different organism. What I will attempt to do in next week's viewing of the MicroAquarium is try to specifically find some copepods and observe/film them.
Midges. What strange organisms they are. They remind me of the Saturn Sandworms in Beetlejuice.
The midges, which I was able to observe at least two of, are structured like horrible, nightmarish worms. They look like a robotic worm constructed of out of crystals in a laboratory that has escaped and is wreaking havoc upon MicroAquariums everywhere.
The head of the midge has two huge proboscises which are retractable, and are somewhat like antennae in an insect in that they appear to probe the immediate environment, apparently (and empirically) to find sustenance for the midge. I observed that once the antennae have found something edible, the midge then inhales it. Its insides seem to consist of a large tube that turns food into energy for the midge to do its favorite thing, which is to flap about wildly and occasionally eat its own tail (I am not kidding, I watched these things eat their own tails a lot.) In the photo below, the food can be seen churning about in a green and brown mass in the gut.
Most disappointing was the apparent beginning of the death of the bladderwort (Utricularia gibba) (Mcfarland, 2012). Dr. McFarland had said this was happening when we first put them into the MicroAquariums, but I guess maybe I didn't want to face facts. As seen in the picture above, the bladders have changed color from a beautiful blue/black to a rather bland brownish green. In the bladders that had dropped off of the plant to the sediment at the bottom of the tank, I could see some sad little microorganisms that were trying to get out, all to no avail.
Groupings of "eggs" or perhaps just debris on Myriophyllum Spicatum
Midges. What strange organisms they are. They remind me of the Saturn Sandworms in Beetlejuice.
Saturn Sandworms in BeetleJuice
Midge in my MicroAquarium (Identified by Ken McFarland)
The head of the midge has two huge proboscises which are retractable, and are somewhat like antennae in an insect in that they appear to probe the immediate environment, apparently (and empirically) to find sustenance for the midge. I observed that once the antennae have found something edible, the midge then inhales it. Its insides seem to consist of a large tube that turns food into energy for the midge to do its favorite thing, which is to flap about wildly and occasionally eat its own tail (I am not kidding, I watched these things eat their own tails a lot.) In the photo below, the food can be seen churning about in a green and brown mass in the gut.
Detail of midge gut
The midge also has two little retractable legs at the front of the body, close to the head, and two in the rear that are not retractable. The midge can move by flopping around or by pulling itself with its front legs. It should also be noted that the midge can be seen with the naked eye, as they are about 1-2mm long .
Detail of dying bladders on Utricularia gibba
Necrotic spots on Amblestegium Sp.
The above photo shows some necrotic lesions beginning to form on the Amblestegium Sp. (McFarland, 2012). In addition to the necrosis, this plant seems to be in the same shape as the others; there is lots of accumulated debris in the tank, especially on the plants. As I said before, I am not sure whether this debris is eggs, waste products from organisms, or both- further investigation is obviously required.
While the tank seems to be supplanting some of its green with the encroaching brown of the Second Law of Thermodynamics (Evert and Eichhorn, 2013), it is gaining some other colors in the form of cyanobacteria (McFarland, 2012). I was shown a lovely patch of purpley/bluish cyanobacteria by Dr. McFarland, and I have to say it looks like a brain in structure; a balled up mass of closely knit cells. I regret to say I have no pictures of it.
This coming week brings hope of being able to use the school's high powered camera and post the images/videos here on my blog. I want to also be able to cite the identifications of some of these organisms and give a little information about them as well. Til next time...
Bibliography:
1. McFarland, Ken [Internet]. Botany 111 Fall 2012; 2012. [cited October 2012] Available from: http://botany1112012.blogspot.com/
2. Evert, Ray F. and Eichhorn, Susan E. 2013. Raven Biology of Plants 8th Edition W.H. Freeman and Company
3. Poster on the wall in Room 202. (I will get more info when I go back- didn't think about citing a poster...)
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