Final Observation

Briana Sproles
Observation 5
20 November 2013

As a part of my last observation, I was able to find and identify three additional specimens. The first was a Paramecium(Fig. 1), which was small and round and moved relatively quickly (Patterson, 1992). This was the only one of its kind that I had spotted in my couple of observation hours. The second specimen that I ran across was another Rotifer(Fig. 2) (Patterson, 1992). This Rotifer was incredibly different looking than the ones I have documented in the past observations. It appeared to be much thinner and I thought it was eating off part of the plant that it was, as I later was told, just attached to it. The third specimen was a Stenostomum(Fig. 3) (Patterson, 1992). This organism moved around much like a common earthworm might. It was really interesting and much larger than the other organisms that I found during this observation period. All in all, I felt that this observation was one of my most productive. I was able to identify organisms from past observations, which I thought was great!

Fig. 1: Paramecium sp.

Fig. 2: Rotifer

Fig. 3: Stenostomum sp.

Observation 4

Briana Sproles
Observation 4
Lab Tues. 12:20
11 November 2013

As of this past week, this has been the fourth week of observing my aquarium. Normally within the hour or two that I spend in the lab, I leave finding only one or two distinctly new species. However, this week I ran into three separate, very interesting organisms. My first discovery was the Vorticella sp. (Fig. 1), which I noticed because it seemed to rapidly "wiggle" in place, with the flagellum moving rapidly (Pennak, 1953) ). My next discovery was the Euchlanis sp., which move very quickly and independently (Pennak, 1953). I thought I was lucky to have fit two of the same species into the same picture because of their tendency to move rapidly and randomly. Thirdly, I ran into a few Nematodes sp. (Fig. 3). They acted just as most earthworms do on land, squirming in and out of the plant structures. Those that needed to be identified by a book, were identified through the book "Fresh-Water Invertebrates of the United States" by Robert W. Pennak.

Fig. 1: Vorticella sp.

Fig. 2: Euchlanis sp.

Fig. 3: Nematode sp.

Observation 3

Briana Sproles
Lab Tues. 12:20
Observation 3


I observed my aquarium last Thursday evening. After placing it under the microscope and adjusting the camera so that the image I saw through the microscope, I also saw on the computer screen. Then, I began to explore. After searching through my aquarium for new organisms, I came upon a Stentor sp. (Fig. 1). This is a single celled organism, which was classified as a Protist in the book "Guide to Microlife" (Fig. 2) (Rainis and Russell 108). I watched it for a while, thinking that it would move, but it stayed stationary during the entire period of observation. I came upon one other organism that I took pictures of and intended to use in this bog, but I accidentally sent myself the wrong pictures from the lab so I only have Figures 1 and 2 for this blog. I will include that organism in the next observation blog.

Fig. 1: Stentor sp.

Fig. 2: Rainis and Russell pg. 108

Observation 2

Vid. 1: Rotifer

Briana Sproles
Observation 2
28 October 2013

Fig. 1: Limnias sp. Rotifer

Fig. 2: Loxophyllum

In order to observe the contents of my aquarium, I first placed them under the microscope and set up the camera. After that was set up, I made sure that the camera was linked up to the computer. As soon as I could also see the contents of my aquarium on the computer screen, I began to explore. It was difficult to make out many of the different shapes that I saw swimming about, but it took less than a couple minutes to clearly make out what was a Limnias sp. Rotifer (Patterson, 1992) (Fig. 1). The small rounded areas on the top are actually flagellum that are bringing in water and other molecules that it feeds off of into the center of its "mouth" region. There is then a small area close to the mouth opening that catches substances in the water and crushes it up for food. The remaining water is filtered back out (Patterson, 1992).
Upon further examination of my aquarium, I came upon what was called a Loxophyllum (Pennak, 1953) (Fig. 2). It would extend the length of its body and then resume the original shape as seen in Figure 2.

After observing these organisms, one pellet of "Atison's Betta Food", made by Ocean Nutrition in Aqua Pet Americas, 3528 West 500 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84104, was added to each of our aquariums. The ingredients of this pellet included the following: Fish meal, wheat flower, soy meal, krill meal, minerals, vitamins and preservatives. Also, the nutritional content of the pellet included: Crude Protein 36%; Crude fat 4.5%; Crude Fiber 3.5%; Moisture 8% and Ash 15% (McFarland, 2013).

Bibliography

Rainis, Kenneth G., and Bruce J. Russell. Guide to Microlife. Division of Grolier Publishing, 1996. 108. Print.

McFarland, Kenneth [Internet] Botany 111 Fall 2013. 28 October 2013.

Patterson, D.J. Free-Living Freshwater Protozoa. Print. 1992.

Pennak, Robert W. Fresh-Water Invertebrates of the United States. 3rd. ed. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., Print. 1953.

Briana Sproles

Lab Blog 1

Setting Up Aquarium

 To begin with creating my aquarium, I placed my initials on blue and yellow stickers that indicated my table number and the place in which I sat at the table. I placed these stickers on the side of my aquarium. With these things aside, I could start filling it. Using a syringe, I sucked up water and sand from the bottom of the sample of a water source from Carter Mill Park at a spring source and squeezed it into the opening of my aquarium (McFarland, 2013). I did so until the aquarium was about half of the way full. I then proceeded to take a small amount of water from the surface of the water source and add it to the aquarium to fill it about 75% of the way up. After inserting the water, I collected small segments of the Fontinalis species of moss, which was originally collected from the Holston River (Fig. 1). I then collected small segments of the Utricularia Gibba species of flowering plant and arranged both of the plant species inside of the aquarium (Fig. 2). Once my aquarium was finished, I placed it under the microscope and looked for organisms inside of it (Fig. 3). I came across a Rotifer. This was the first time I had ever seen anything like this so it was really exciting!