MicroAquarium observation week 3

Things were relatively quiet in my micro-aquarium this week. Although I did identify a very large nematode that had a long worm-like body structure, which would make sense considering their alternate name is 'roundworms'. Nematodes are very diverse and there are many different types, a vast majority being parasitic. For the most part they feed on dead plant material, and have tubular digestive systems with opening at each end of their bodies. Nematodes have 2 sharp "stylets" that pierce their prey and direct the food into their esophagus. I am continuing to see many rotifers throughout my aquarium. Rotifers are also called wheel animals because they move with wheel like appendiges. They are extremely common in freshwater environments and can only be seen under the highest magnifications of microscopes. Another organism found this week was a Lembadion (lembadion bullinum), a planktonic ciliate. Lembadion are usually oval shaped with a small cilia on the end, and large membranelles on the left side of the mouth. They have a prominent vacuole that takes up most of the body, and they feed on diatoms, flagellates, other ciliates, and green algae. Also identified in my aquarium, was an Anisonema. Anisonema are generally known for their heterodynamic flagella that are unequal lengths. They have definite movement patterns of gliding and then jerking backwards. They are oval shaped organisms with no indegestion apparatus.