Have you ever looked into a still pond and wondered what lies beneath the surface? In a single drop of water, a hidden universe teeming with microscopic life thrives! Today, I'm taking a closer look at this hidden world, not only as a curious explorer but also as a photographer testing the capabilities of a new camera attached to my trusty microscope.
This dive into the microscopic isn't just about exploring, however. I'm also experimenting with a well-known technique that is nonetheless new to me - dark field illumination. This allows me to capture the intricate details of these tiny creatures in a whole new light, literally. The results, particularly with the crustaceans, have been truly breathtaking. Imagine tiny, jewel-toned creatures shimmering with a rainbow of colors previously hidden or muted under standard brightfield illumination.
While I am still unfortunately too much of a novice in microscopic life to put a name to many of the fascinating species that I have encountered in recent days, I hope that you too will be amazed at the vibrant world waiting to be discovered in a single drop of water! Enjoy!
Copepods (Family Diaptomidae):
Copepods (Genus Canthocamptus):
Copepods (Genus Diacyclops):
Mosquitos (Family Culicidae):
Genus Cothurnia:
Order Sessilida:
Planarian Worm (Genus Planaria):
Vorticellidae (Family Vorticellidae):
Delicate Fern Moss (Thuidium delicatulum):
Catherine's Moss (Atrichum undulatum):
Tree-skirt Moss (Pseudanomodon attenuatus):
Filimentous Green Algae (Genus Zygnema):
Genus Gonium:
Rotifer (Genus Rotaria):
Raphid Diatom (Order Cymbellales):
Unknown Diatom (Class Bacillariophyceae):
Order Podocopida:
Whoa that is so interesting to see! In the 8th photo, is that thing laying eggs? I have never seen baby mosquitoes before, now, I did! Keep up the amazing work @tych021!
I'm glad that you like the picture! I don't think that any of the copepods are actively laying eggs in any of these images, but the masses of spheres attached to some of their abdomens are eggs.