2nd Observation

^ Arcella

^Paramecium

^ Ostracoda

November 2nd, 2008

Oraganisms Observed:

1. Ostracoda (Darwinula) "Seed Shrimp"

-found in soils, sands, aquatic vegetation, along the bottom shallows of temporary pools, ponds, streams, creeks, ditches, and marshes

-color ranges from chalky white to yellow; Light-colored valves often blotched with dark colors. Can be gray, brown, or green. They have bivalved shells that are shaped like flattened seeds. Most shells have hairy margins, a distinctive "eye" that can often be seen through the shell. The move in a slow kreeping motion to rapid bouncing and scurrying; 9 different kinds.

2. Phylum: Ciliophora (Ciliates)

Genus: Parammecium

-Protist found in shallows among submerged debris, spaces between sand or soil particles, or scum.

-Posterior end is bluntly pointed, it has 2 contractive vacuoles and swims in slow, corkscrew motion

-Have dartlike structures that attack other protists such as Didinium

3. Arcella

-Has a lobose pseudopodia witha single, central and ventral aperture from which the locomotor and feeding pseudopodia emerge.

-round, usually clear but accumulates metal salts from the medium and becomes brown with time.

Other Observations:

-Aquarium was not as active as it was during the first observation. However it seemed that most of the life had settled to the bottom of the structure. There is also an unusual form of the organism in the phylum Staurastrum Punctulatum, which greatly ressembled that of a Japanese species of that certain organism. The Organism has 2 green triangles connected together by a single green rod in the middle of the organism.