Law of Attraction (Microbes)

[Micro-Reefs Aquarium]

Filming microbes with my Amscope 670Q-PL underbrightfield microscopsy, without a coverslip on the slide allows microbes free reign without confinements. This allows us a quick glimpse of their natural movement in a hostile yet much needed environment for survival and procreation. You will notice that both microbes are the same, but one is darker than the other, I infer male and female as they stay close together, you can clearly see that as I focus from one to the other.

View both short videos and let me know if you can ID both of these microbes, I am fanscinated by this world many call microcosm.

 

[MnFish1]

Filming microbes with my Amscope 670Q-PL underbrightfield microscopsy, without a coverslip on the slide allows microbes free reign without confinements. This allows us a quick glimpse of their natural movement in a hostile yet much needed environment for survival and procreation. You will notice that both microbes are the same, but one is darker than the other, I infer male and female as they stay close together, you can clearly see that as I focus from one to the other.

View both short videos and let me know if you can ID both of these microbes, I am fanscinated by this world many call microcosm.

Nice pictures!! - I cannot identify them - but - they are not 'microbes' - which are 'bacteria' - these are eukaryotes. What magnification is this done at (that would also help)

 

[Micro-Reefs Aquarium]

Nice pictures!! - I cannot identify them - but - they are not 'microbes' - which are 'bacteria' - these are eukaryotes. What magnification is this done at (that would also help)

Thanks for the information, the trinocular head used a 20X eyepiece with two objectives 4X, 10X. So 80X-200X. I didn't go beyond that due to not having a coverslip which would have immersed my objectives into the slide.

I was viewing them using my 10x eyepieces on the binocular head, allowing me to move around to film them better.

They remind me of water bear Tardigrades.

 

[Micro-Reefs Aquarium]

Nice pictures!! - I cannot identify them - but - they are not 'microbes' - which are 'bacteria' - these are eukaryotes. What magnification is this done at (that would also help)

I have another video that I did, where I used a coverslip on the slide so you can see the segmented body of the micro-organism, can you ID him with this video?

 

[MnFish1]

It looks like a 'Planarian'. https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/planaria-flatworm-under-microscope-view-gm618453446-107611971

 

[Micro-Reefs Aquarium]

It looks like a 'Planarian'. https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/planaria-flatworm-under-microscope-view-gm618453446-107611971

Wow! Thanks are these guys commonly found in our reefs? What is there purpose are they bad flatworms sound like bad news?

Taking a better look, the ones I filmed have more oval look than the one pictured. I have seen those flatworms from your picture in other videos I have taken, however I might think the ones I video might be called something else, perhaps?

 

[Micro-Reefs Aquarium]

It looks like a 'Planarian'. https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/planaria-flatworm-under-microscope-view-gm618453446-107611971

Yeah, it's a Planarian I did a video search on web and many videos come out the same as mine... Thanks

 

[Micro-Reefs Aquarium]

Take a look at these Planarian that are cut in half and still grow back their bodies, can it be these we have in our reefs?

 

[MnFish1]

Wow! Thanks are these guys commonly found in our reefs? What is there purpose are they bad flatworms sound like bad news?

Taking a better look, the ones I filmed have more oval look than the one pictured. I have seen those flatworms from your picture in other videos I have taken, however I might think the ones I video might be called something else, perhaps?

They are multiple sizes and shapes - it was the upward looking kind of 'crossed' eyes that gave the hint. But I wanted to google a specific picture to be sure. Yes - are common - and some are not great to have around. https://reefcraze.com/what-eats-flatworms-in-a-reef-tank/

 

[Micro-Reefs Aquarium]

They are multiple sizes and shapes - it was the upward looking kind of 'crossed' eyes that gave the hint. But I wanted to google a specific picture to be sure. Yes - are common - and some are not great to have around. https://reefcraze.com/what-eats-flatworms-in-a-reef-tank/

Did you see the video I found on regeneration genes that they possess? Wow!

 

[MnFish1]

Did you see the video I found on regeneration genes that they possess? Wow!

No - but I'm going to ask @Jay Hemdal to weigh in if these microscopic monsters are a problem. I think 'not'

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Did you see the video I found on regeneration genes that they possess? Wow!

These are either turbellarians or planaria - both are flatworms. There are parasitic turbellarians, but you won't find them free living like this, so these are harmless.

When I was a kid my dad told me about a story where a researcher taught planaria to run a maze. He then cut up the planaria and they regenerated and each piece could still run the maze. He then fed the planaria to others and then they seemed to also run the maze. This article clarifies that a bit though:

Decapitation, But Not Cannibalism, Might Transmit Memories

Cross-section of a planarianJubal Harshaw via Shutterstock Earlier this year, scientists published a bizarre finding: A decapitated flatworm that grows a new head seems to retain memories from its old one. Weird—but not even close to the weirdest finding in the annals of flatworm memory...

nautil.us

Jay

 

[Micro-Reefs Aquarium]

These are either turbellarians or planaria - both are flatworms. There are parasitic turbellarians, but you won't find them free living like this, so these are harmless.

When I was a kid my dad told me about a story where a researcher taught planaria to run a maze. He then cut up the planaria and they regenerated and each piece could still run the maze. He then fed the planaria to others and then they seemed to also run the maze. This article clarifies that a bit though:

Decapitation, But Not Cannibalism, Might Transmit Memories

Cross-section of a planarianJubal Harshaw via Shutterstock Earlier this year, scientists published a bizarre finding: A decapitated flatworm that grows a new head seems to retain memories from its old one. Weird—but not even close to the weirdest finding in the annals of flatworm memory...

nautil.us

Jay

Incredible reading! Fascinated by the microscopic world found in our reef tanks!