Mr. M's Microscopy of the Reef, FlowerMama's Dinos! #303

[jedimasterben]

YESSSSSSSSSSSSS

 

 

A few months ago I sent a link to this thread to a few of the teachers at a couple of the elementary schools I work at for them to show to the students during their science classes (at the time learning about instruments and microscopes and such), and they all loved what you had done, so they'll be super excited to see what comes next!

[Mr. Microscope]

Hello All,

 

It's been far too long since I last posted anything to this post. But I finally got around to looking at another sample. This time, it was a micro brittle star. I've got these little white ones in my reef. They're one of the smallest micro brittle star I've seen. So, I figured they'd make for some nice microscopy.

 

Here's a little video I shot under a dissecting microscope of the specimen before taking it through chemical processing:

 

I actually sacrificed two stars for this project so that we could get a good view of both the top and underside of it.

 

To start out, here is the top side in sort of a zoom progression:

 

 

 

I was surprised to find that these things are covered with bacteria. Here's a little figure to illustrate:

 

For a little contrast, here is the mouth:

Nom Nom Nom!

 

The legs also offered some interesting morphology. Here's the top and bottom sides respectively:

 

 

Notice how the bottom has little gripping nodules. Here's a little close-up:

 

That's it for now. Thanks for checking in!

[Mr. Microscope]

YESSSSSSSSSSSSS

 

 

A few months ago I sent a link to this thread to a few of the teachers at a couple of the elementary schools I work at for them to show to the students during their science classes (at the time learning about instruments and microscopes and such), and they all loved what you had done, so they'll be super excited to see what comes next!

Thanks for sharing my thread Ben! Feel free to throw them my contact info if they have any questions. I've spoken to classrooms full of kids about microscopy before. It's a lot of fun!

[jedimasterben]

Thanks for sharing my thread Ben! Feel free to throw them my contact info if they have any questions. I've spoken to classrooms full of kid about microscopy before. It's a lot of fun!

I certainly will! You're the best!

[Acielot]

Hello All,

 

It's been far too long since I last posted anything to this post. But I finally got around to looking at another sample. This time, it was a micro brittle star. I've got these little white ones in my reef. They're one of the smallest micro brittle star I've seen. So, I figured they'd make for some nice microscopy.

 

Here's a little video I shot under a dissecting microscope of the specimen before taking it through chemical processing:

 

I actually sacrificed two stars for this project so that we could get a good view of both the top and underside of it.

 

To start out, here is the top side in sort of a zoom progression:

What even? I don't want a macro lens and DSLR anymore. I want one of those electron microscopes that you have.

[Mr. Microscope]

Thanks James!

[Acielot]

Thanks James!

Yeah I screwed up that quote a bit. I was trying to get this photo. It's really cool looking. But what are the "large" dibbits in the background?

 

[Mr. Microscope]

The background is a two sided tape made of carbon. This allows for conductivity from the electron beam to the base of the sample stub. The pits are just a part of the tape. I'll try to get you a picture to give you an idea of what's going on there.

[.Newman.]

I'm not surprised that the bacteria were there...aren't they everywhere on living things lol? the star was alive and moist right? so it's natural that bacteria would grow on a surface like that.

 

anyways epic stuff in this thread, loving it!

[.Newman.]

Okay. So, next let's take a look at that caterpillar thing I found. If anyone has a more definitive identification I'd love to hear it. I really enjoyed imaging this guy, though to be honest, I'm not sure which side is the front and which side is that back.

 

 

 

I think this may be a larval bristleworm. It's segmented with tiny setae which suggest an annelid worm.

or holothurian larva but i don't think many of us have holothurians breeding in our tanks.

This is from memory. I could go through my entire invertebrate textbook (I used to take a class about them) and find a more definitive answer but i don't have any time for that now. let me know if you think it's something else!

[Mr. Microscope]

I'm not surprised that the bacteria were there...are they everywhere on living things lol? the star was alive and moist right? so it's natural that bacteria would grow on a surface like that.

 

anyways epic stuff in this thread, loving it!

Thanks Newman! Yeah, I was surprised by the density of it.

 

Hopefully, I'll have something new to post here sometime soon.

 

I think this may be a larval bristleworm. It's segmented with tiny setae which suggest an annelid worm.

Wow! That's the best guess I've heard so far. Thanks for the idea. I'll look into it.

[.Newman.]

it just doesn't look like a common bristle worm larvae...looks a little different. then again there are make kinds of worms in our tanks. this could be just one of the various species in there.

[Mr. Microscope]

it just doesn't look like a common bristle worm larvae...looks a little different. then again there are make kinds of worms in our tanks. this could be just one of the various species in there.

It's approximately 450um long (about 1/2 mm) if that helps.

[Hexadron]

Okay awesome. I don't want to leave this thread

[jadedanime]

How have I missed this thread? ......you make me want to switch my major too! What do you do on a day to day basis?

[.Newman.]

Ok so i took a look into my invertebrates textbook and found some more stuff, but mostly confirmed my earlier guesses. there was an electron micrograph picture in my book of a bristleworm larva that looked a bit like yours. the similar feature was the hairy strip running parallel along the animal's back. we don't see it very well in your pic here but one can assume that your critter's back is indeed hairy lol.

 

So here are the possible IDs:

Polychaete Trochophore larva

Doliolaria larva

Holothurian larva

Some tiny thing that I don't know about/can't remember

 

the hairs we see in the electron photo are either cilia or setae.

[Chew_Magna]

 

 

 

Call me perverted, but who else sees a sperm in here? Contaminated sample?

[Mike Savage]

That is way cool! Great job and thanks for sharing!

[Arkayology]

Thanks for sharing the images man! They are awesome!

[Mr. Microscope]

Okay awesome. I don't want to leave this thread

Thanks JDH!

How have I missed this thread? ......you make me want to switch my major too! What do you do on a day to day basis?

I spend my days doing sample preparation (bench work), and using TEM's and SEM's to look at really small things. Mostly biological, but I work with at a few material samples as well such as polymers. It's a lot of fun, but there are days I wish I'd gone into business or law. Science doesn't pay much.

Ok so i took a look into my invertebrates textbook and found some more stuff, but mostly confirmed my earlier guesses. there was an electron micrograph picture in my book of a bristleworm larva that looked a bit like yours. the similar feature was the hairy strip running parallel along the animal's back. we don't see it very well in your pic here but one can assume that your critter's back is indeed hairy lol.

 

So here are the possible IDs:

Polychaete Trochophore larva

Doliolaria larva

Holothurian larva

Some tiny thing that I don't know about/can't remember

 

the hairs we see in the electron photo are either cilia or setae.

Awesome! Thanks for looking into that Newman! What book are you using (title,author)? I'd should check it out.

Call me perverted, but who else sees a sperm in here? Contaminated sample?

What you are seeing there are a different kind of bacteria. Unlike the field of bateria you see on the surface of the brittle star, the larger "sperm" looking ones are a mobile variety of bacteria. The little tail is a flagellum. It spins around a helps the bacteria move. Thanks for checking out my thread!

That is way cool! Great job and thanks for sharing!

Thanks Mike!

Thanks for sharing the images man! They are awesome!

Thanks Ark!

[rb1685]

Man, this is one of the coolest threads I've seen on NR in a while.

[.Newman.]

What book are you using (title,author)? I'd should check it out.

 

It's written by Pechenik.

called "Biology of the Invertebrates" by Jan A. Pechenik. I have the 6th edition.

[jadedanime]

Oh what I wouldn't give to learn on a SEM or TEM.... Knew I should've gone to the big state school. Lol science may not pay much, but if its interesting that makes up for it right?

[andi.rahl]

that's awesome! thanks for sharing

[Jstn]

Bad ass, you do any tem also? I just did some cyro microtome and tem, man that was stressful.