Observations by texan80

This Daphnia was found in a riverine wetland below the Proctor Lake Dam. The sample was collected at a depth of one foot at an edge of the wetland.

Daphnia is a freshwater crustacean that can be seen with naked-eye, but not usually. They are most notable by their round/fat shape, eye spot, antennae, and translucency. Daphnia are sometimes called water fleas because of their resemblance to fleas and the way they move like fleas by jumping.

Daphnia can live in almost any type of freshwater aquatic environment, some even live in brackish water. Daphnia can play important roles in the food chains they are present in, they are good food source for many organisms and mainly feed on algae.

“Daphnia”, New World Encyclopedia, http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Daphnia. Accessed 17 November 2016.

Collected from littoral water in Duck Pond near the Colorado River.

Keratella is a type of Rotifer that is shaped like a cup with spines facing forward our of its mouth and one tail-like spine. Keratella are extremely small and can't be seen without a microscope. Keratella is predominately translucent and consumes by filter feeding. When keratella move they appear to be floating or gliding through water with its ciliated corona.

Keratella can be found all around the world in most types of aquatic habitats. Keratella can eat many types of food but mainly feed on phytoplankton. Keratella also serve as a food source for other organisms.

“Zooplankton of the Great Lakes” Central Michigan University, http://people.cst.cmich.edu/mcnau1as/zooplankton%20web/Keratella/Ker.html. Accessed 17 November 2016.

Collected from a soil sample taken near the river bank. The soil was mainly composed of silt and leaves.

Oscillatoria is sometimes mistaken with algae because it is green, can form long strands, and has filaments. The filaments present are disc-shaped cells that are stacked on top of one another. Oscillatoria does not also form branches like some algae. Oscillatoria is unique because it is a motile bacteria that uses microfibrils to move.

Oscillatoria can live in very diverse habitats. They can be everywhere from benthic to planktonic and can even have the capacity to live in anoxygenic conditions like this sample was found in.

Van den Hoek, C., Mann, D.G., & Jahns, M.M. “Algae: an introduction to phycology” Cambridge University Press, 1995. http://bioref.lastdragon.org/Cyanobacteria/Oscillatoria.html. Accessed 16 November 2016.

This filamentous algae was collected along the bank/shoreline on the northern part of Lake Proctor. The area it was collected from was in a small cove that was relatively lentic.

Filamentous algae is a slimy, hairy, green and resembles moss. Under a microscope the algae is characterized by non-branching, individual filaments that have rectangular-like symmetry.

Filamentous is common in most bodies of water that are relatively calm and have sunlight available. Filamentous algae can become problematic if it receives inputs of phosphorus and nitrogen.

Porter, M., “Filamentous Algae”, The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, 2011 http://www.noble.org/ag/wildlife/filamentous-algae/. Accessed 12 2016.

Found living in filamentous algae along the bank/shoreline on the northern side of Lake Proctor.

Chironomidae are usually 1 to 10mm in length and in their adult stage resemble mosquitos, their difference is that they do not bite and have elongated mouths. Chironomidae start out their lives as eggs, then hatch and become larvae which is what was found. This specimen is a chironomus thummi or better known as a blood worm. These organisms are red because of the hemoglobin in their blood that stores oxygen. Like most chirnomidae, blood worms usually have two appendages very near their head, their body resembles a common worm.

Chironomidae can live in most freshwater aquactic habitats.
Chironomidae do have a intolerance for poor water quality, because of this, their responses make them great environmental indicators.

“Family Chironomidae”, Soil & Water Conservation Society of Metro Halifax, 2013, http://lakes.chebucto.org/ZOOBENTH/BENTHOS/xiii.html. Accessed 14 November 2016.

Steinman, H., “Blood Worms”, Thermo Scientific, http://www.phadia.com/en-GB/5/Products/ImmunoCAP-Allergens/Insects/Allergens/Blood-worm/. Accessed 11 November 2016.