#stalked ciliate

[animalshowdown]

Phylum Round 1

Chordata: All animals with a backbone (Vertebrata), but also some invertebrates. Chordata includes fish, birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians, but also sea squirts and lancelets. All Chordates have a notochord (supportive rod-like structure), a hollow dorsal nerve cord, pharyngeal slits (for filter feeding/breathing), a post-anal tail, and an endostyle (feeding organ) or thyroid (hormonal gland). Interestingly, many Chordates have overcome the need to raise their young in water by laying shelled eggs or carrying young within the womb. Fur, feathers, and scales are all unique adaptations found within Chordata. This phylum exhibits remarkable diversity overall.

Entoprocta (Kamptozoa): Goblet Worms or Nodding Animals. These small cup-shaped animals filter feed using the ciliated tentacles surrounding the "rim". Their most distinctive feature is their "nodding" behavior on their long thin stalk. They can live in marine, brackish, or rarely freshwater habitats. While they closely resemble Bryozoans, they differ in that their anus is located inside the ring of tentacles, rather than outside. Some Entoprocts can live on top of other organisms, taking advantage of the mobility and food-bearing water currents.

[kiloueka]

Asexual feeding stage – At this stage, S. pandora is neither male nor female. It has a length of 347 μm and a width of 113 μm. On the posterior end of the sac-like body is a stalk with an adhesive disc, which attaches itself to the host. On the anterior end is a ciliated funnel (mouth) and an anus.

Sexual stage

Female – S. pandora has a length of 84 μm and a width of 42 μm during this stage. Its digestive system collapses and reconstitutes itself as a larva.

Male – S. pandora is the same size as the female in this stage. It has no mouth or anus, which signifies the absence of a digestive system. It also has two reproductive organs.

Symbion pandora can reproduce both asexually by budding and sexually. The sexual reproductive cycle is triggered when the host crustacean molts its skin in order to grow: a feeding stage buds a male, which attaches to another feeding stage and triggers it to bud a female, which it impregnates. The female is able to swim, and finds another host crustacean, where the larva in her develops. The female dies, and the larva escapes, spawning another feeding stage on the new host.

What the fuck

A little while ago you made a remark about ferns along the lines of "God really left you unfinished huh?". Can you please elaborate on that?

yes and i have to admit that was specifically a vague post at one single particular fern, Vittaria appalachiana: 

‘wow, that really doesnt look like a fern’ you might say. ‘that looks like a moss. that looks like the beard stubble of seedless plants’. but no. this is a patch of this species of fern. it is the only one of it’s extremely specific life style type known to man.  

i would like to take you all on a journey. imagine, for a moment, an alternate universe where a human dude loses his dick in a cave (stay with me here) and instead of dying, the dick forms its own goddamn civilization (i PROMISE this will make sense shortly). like it just learns to reproduce asexually into more identical dicks. technically this is a population of humans, just one that throws us for a loop because generally, thats definitely not how humans go on in life, but like technically it’s a population of humans. this is a very, very rough analogy for what this plant is.

allow me to explain how the hell this happened. those who have studied plants might remember the infamous botanical concept of the ‘alternation of generations’, which is known for like, fucking everyone up in every introductory bio class ever because although it’s nearly ubiquitous in plants, us animals dont have to worry about it, and it’s so alien it’s hard to learn. basically, the alternation of generations describes how plants reproduce in a cycle of two major stages: the sporophyte stage, which is a structure that produces spores, and the gametophyte stage, a structure that produces gametes.

for example, we know the sporophyte stage of flowering plants as the actual flowering plant, and the gametophyte stage as very specifically pollen and the ovules (inside the flower ovaries). pollen in and of itself isn’t the equivalent of sperm in human bodies; it’s the equivalent of a penis, which then lands on a stamen and grows into a microscopic structure that THEN produces the actual sperm for fertilization. the anthers of a plant do not produce sperm; they produce things that grow into penises that then produce sperm, which then fertilize the egg cells (produced by the ovules inside the flower ovaries) that grow into a new sporophyte in the form of a seed and it’s subsequent mature plant. yes this is wild and again, its notoriously one of the hardest things to learn and teach in biology, but stay with me here. 

in ferns and nonflowering plants, this cycle is a bit more evident; ferns produce spores, which then land and germinate into the fern gametophytes, which look like this and can be seen with the naked eye: 

these then grow male and female reproductive parts that produce the plant equivalent of sperm and eggs. like human sperm, fern sperm are flagellated. unlike human sperm, fern sperm are able to sense pheromones from other gametophytes nearby and literally swim through water out in the open to have sexy times in the mud, which i thought i would mention because it terrifies me. this sperm then fertilizes the egg in another gametophyte, and the new fern literally bursts chest buster style out of the gametophyte into a new baby fern. the entire life cycle looks like this: 

which brings us back to Vittaria appalachiana, the only currently known fern that does not have a sporophyte stage. 

things about this: 

1. there is no fern on this fern. this fern has evolved past the mortal fern form. it has ascended. it has deleted like, 95% of the chart above in favor of only the mature gametophyte on the upper right

2. this fern reproduces exclusively by budding. like. asexually. like, i mentioned earlier in this post that the gametophytes produce sperm and ovules and have sex, but nah. not for these lads. they gave that up long ago. now each individual just makes tiny organs that fall off and grow into identical fern gametophytes, and like technically this should be like…..really bad? like theres a reason for sexual intercourse, and that’s because it lets genes get recombined into more resilient offspring so you dont end up with inbreeding and all that awful stuff, as well as allowing for evolution and diversity within a population and all that. but somehow, this species has circumvented this with the absolutely galaxy brain take that you cant have problems with inbreeding if you dont breed. like, sure, it theoretically slows evolution down to a goddamn crawl and makes it incredibly vulnerable to disease, but like. sure. its made it this long, somehow

3. these ferns live in caves. in the grand scheme of things this isn’t a big deal, because like, plenty of fern species love caves for several primary niche ecological reasons that i wont go into here, but one of the reasons V. appalachiana is the only known fern to only live like this is because the gametophyte stage in ferns isn’t made to last, it’s made to have sex and die. there’s little to no protection from the sun on a gametophyte. it’s prone to drying out. it’s less resilient to temperature extremes than a fully grown plant would be. there are so many reasons why, in theory, to us mere mortals, evolving to live eternally in the (arguably) most vulnerable stage of one’s life cycle in a cave where temperatures regularly get low, in a region where winter is a thing, would like, a terrible idea. 

but….Vittaria appalachiana is an absolute chad. 

somehow these little madmen have done it. they live in peak form in appalachian cave entrances just to flex. we aren’t even sure how they really happened, either, like the details about how they evolved into such chads remain murky. so like i say that god left them unfinished, and personally i still refer to them like that in my head when i think of them, but i suppose the real question is if god really left these lads unfinished or are these lads are the only finished thing on this earth. like this could very well be the best shit evolution has ever come up with. like maybe humans really missed a solid chance with this strategy

[wurds-fur-nurds]

Vorticellapistiformology noun | \ vȯr-tə-ˌsel-ə-ˌpist-ə-ˌfȯrm-ə-lə-jē \

1. The study and classification of structural similarities and interactions among seemingly unrelated forms in nature, specifically examining parallels between the morphology of vorticellae (bell-shaped, ciliate protozoa), pistols (mechanical devices designed for propelling projectiles), and pisiforms (small, pea-shaped bones found in the wrist). 2. A branch of biomimicry and comparative anatomy that investigates functional convergences between organisms and human-made objects, with particular focus on the evolutionary adaptations that lead to the development of similar structures for entirely different purposes in biology and engineering.

Example: "Through his deep dive into vorticellapistiformology, Dr. Alton discovered surprising similarities in the pivot points of pistols and the contractile stalks of vorticellae."

[afactaday]

#aFactADay2023

#905: jellyfish have a rather complicated life cycle involving three extremely different stages and both asexual and sexual reproduction:

they start off as a mere larva, called a "planula", which is small, flat, ciliated and small. and small. these roam free in the water looking for somewhere to land. the planulae of Anthozoa species (eg corals and anemones) have a mouth while the ones of Medusozoa (eg jellyfish and hydrozoans) don't, so they need to find a home quickly!

once they've found a place to stay, called a "substrate", they settle down and become sessile.

they develop into a polyp, which is a sessile plant-like thing with tentacles surrounding its mouth. when you picture an anemone or coral, you usually picture its polyp stage. the polyp can also grow on boats or even the sides of a fish, but if it can't find a home it might just be free-floating.

the polyp grows, sometimes for several years, to a whopping size of a few millimetres in diameter. during this time it may "bud", which is a bit like when your strawberry or spider plant tries to clone itself: in some species it forms a scyphistoma, which is another polyp, or in others an ephyra, which is a sort of proto-medusa. budding sites may vary from the mouth to the gonads :P

once the polyp is fully matured, it begins to "strobilate". it begins by consuming its own tentacles. then it gets lateral ridges up its whole length, which grow into large cracks, and eventually the polyp fully shatters into a handful of tiny "ephyrae detach". this is the second form of asexual reproduction. in some species, it also drops a larva. often, the polyp stays back for a couple of years to make more ephyrae each year.

each ephyra grows into a "medusa", which is what you pictured when i said "jellyfish" (unless you're a rather pedantic marine biology nerd)

the main body is called the "bell", which has a muscle, a stomach and a few nerves; there are a small handful (usually four i think) of "oral arms" which are large, somewhat prehensile, stingy tentacles coming out of the mouth; there are a whole bucketload of tentacles hanging from around the edge of the bell, and in box jellyfish, from the "pedalium", a stalk hanging from each corner.

the medusae are generally either male or female (altho hermaphrodites do exist in some species) and they release their gametes into the water for external fertilisation (altho in some species they're fertilised in the female's mouth, and in moon jellies, they're fertilised under the armpits). each egg develops into a larva which begins to search for a substrate to continue the cycle.

i've said a lot but i've simplified even more, would you believe haha. many species skip some stages, and other classes like anemones and corals follow a similar life cycle, without the medusa stage.

[adelicateculturecell]

cc: "The little moving domes are a ciliate called kerona pediculus. That's "kerona," with a k-e, not "corona" like the beer...or the virus. These are much cuter, especially as they climb up and down these stalks like it's their own personal jungle gym. It's not exactly a jungle gyn open for the public. Just ask this nauplius. Oh wait, you can't Because those stalks are the tentacles of a hydra, and getting close to them was the last mistake this nauplius ever made."

Journey to the Microcosmos- The Beautiful, Brutal Tentacles of Hydra

Images Originally Captured by Jam's Germs

Quote Voiced by Deboki Chakravarti

[glimpsesofwildlife]

Cyana is a genus of moths 🦋 in the family Erebidae. Palpi slender and upturned. Antennae ciliated. Forewing of the male with a more or less strongly developed fringe of hair from the centre of costa on upperside and lobe on underside, which much distorts the sub-costal nervures. Vein 5 absent in male. Vein 6 usually absent in female. Veins 7 to 9 stalked. Hindwing with veins 3 and stalked. Vein 5 above angle of cell and veins 6 and 7 usually stalked. #butterflies #wildlifeplanet #wildlifephotography #viralvideos #viralpost #discoverearth #earthfocus #earthofficial #jharkhandi #jharkhandblogs #jharkhandblogs #butterflylove #butterflyhouse #mothsofinstagram #instagramreels (at Netarhat - Wildlife and Nature) https://www.instagram.com/p/CkQ42K7BfxA/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[cedar-glade]

Rudbeckia fulgida var.... growing with Symphyotrichum drummondii and other woodland asters.

While Rudbeckia fulgida complex is probably the worst for finding literature on isolating var. I wanted to give this one a try. Growing on calcareous mineral soil at the upper ridge of Clifton Gorge, not directly in water nor extremely cold permanent water. It was also growing in a section of woods that received dappled shade. 

My first thought was it can’t be var. sullvantii due to fen obligation and true wetland obligate status.  The second thought was the basal leaves were not dark enough or elongate enough to be var. umbrosia, the appalachian Rudbeckia fulgida, and also it’s difficult to consider that var. for range reasons. Var. umbrosia is also considered to be glabrous(smooth) and glossy. Var. Deamii is a prairie obligate in situ, at one point only occurring in one section of the prairie peninsula from Illinois barrens into Darby Plains and Sandusky Plains Ohio; now the only state that seems to have the tightly clumped surface to subsurface stolon to rhizome multi branched, hairy, clump colony forming var. is Indiana. Var. speciosa is an absolute unit, there for this can’t be it. 

In fact i’ve heard a lot of jive about the ploidy of var. speciosa being something crazy enough to separate out of R. fulgida. Polyploid separation is nothing new in evolution and is constantly noted and var. speciosa has some huge leaves, capitulescence stypes, ligules , and leaves. 

Other species from glade regions are frequently up for the idea of new species based on localized morphological var. or ecotypic non-plasticity. 

https://www.friendsofeloisebutler.org/pdfdocs/rudbeckia_fulgida_abstract.pdf

^this abstract is one such paper that discusses potential separations. 

I wanted to show y’all this because this paper immediately mentions a few things to the reader. 

Paleae (poeaceae, asteraceae, proteaceae, goodeniaceae) goupings of florets and specifically those bracts that separates each floret from the base of the receptacle. 

Unfortunately my camera wasn’t working right in macro mode that day but I tried to take a naked photo of these with the closest one to a successful shot being the blurry one with my hand. The outer floret bracts that greet the ligules are slightly ciliate, the inner bracts non ciliate. These plants did not occur in tight clusters from rhizome(below ground stem used for asexual colony formation or nutrient seeking cloning) or stolon(above ground stem used for asexual colony formation or nutrient seeking cloning). Instead, spread out colonies with single sections of inflorescence sparsely branching from top of the capitulescence(the stype that holds the capitulum and cauline leaves in asteraceae) with one- 3 capitulum rarely (aster family flower cluster) per individual per. plant. The involucre(the bractoid lads at the base of the receptacle) were sparsely pubescent(hairy) and cauline leaves scabrid (rough) and pubescent(almost stiff/hispid) while basal leaves were pubescent/ ciliate at the margins. 

According to a few records true var. fulgida is range restricted, clump forming, and stoloniferous/ rhyzome clump forming. Paleae ciliate. 

The plant does not seem to fit perfectly for R. fulgida var. truncata nor any other taxa mentioned therefor I give up until there is more evidence from the area. 

For now it might as well be it’s own Rudibeckia fulgida var. 

BTW seriously use that complex paper, its really good for help on var. that may one day be considered species(soon... probably. ) 

also stype can be used interchangeably with capitulaphore, literally means stalk in botanical jarble jargin for asteraceae. 

[thumbgarden]

What is Thyme (Thymus mongolicus Ronn)

Thyme (Thymus mongolicus Ronn), semi-shrub, oval leaves, head-shaped inflorescence, tubular bell-shaped or narrowly-bell-shaped calyx, corolla purplish red, purple or lavender, pink, flowering from July to August, small nuts nearly round Shaped or oval.

It can be used as an ingredient. It is commonly used as a spice in European cooking. It has a spicy taste and is used to add to stews, eggs, or soups.

Traditionally in Europe, thyme is considered a symbol of courage, so in the Middle Ages, it was often used as a gift to the enlisted knight.

In the Yuan Dynasty of China, there was a book called "Complete Collection of Things to Use at Home", which remembers that it was seasoned with thyme and camel hooves.

The famous Chinese medical scientist Li Shizhen’s "Compendium of Materia Medica" records: "The taste is slightly pungent, and the natives cook lamb to eat, which is delicious." Thyme is native to Southern Europe and is widely cultivated as a gourmet spice.

The appearance characteristics of thyme

Semi-shrub. Many stems, creeping or ascending; sterile branches emerging from the end or base of the stem, creeping or ascending, pubescent; flowering branches (1.5) 2-10 cm high, densely curved downwards or slightly flattened under the inflorescence Hair, the lower hair becomes short and sparse, with 2-4 leaf pairs, the base has the first leaves that fall off.

Leaves are ovoid, 4-10 mm long, 2-4.5 mm wide, apex obtuse or slightly acute, base wedge-shaped or tapered, whole or rare 1-2 pairs of small serrations, both sides glabrous, lateral veins 2- 3 pairs, slightly protruding underneath, glandular points somewhat obvious, petioles are obvious, the petiole near the lower part is about 1/2 of the leaf, and the upper part is shorter; the bracts are the same shape as the leaves, and the edges are ciliated in the lower 1/3.

The inflorescence is capitate, more or less flowered, and the flowers have short stalks. The calyx is tubular bell-shaped or narrowly bell-shaped, 4-4.5 mm long, sparsely pilose on the lower part, nearly glabrous on the upper part, the lower lip is longer than the upper lip or nearly equal to the upper lip, the upper lip has shorter teeth, and the teeth do not exceed 1/3 of the total length of the upper lip, Triangular, ciliate or glabrous.

Corolla purple, purple or lavender, pink, 6.5-8 mm long, sparsely pubescent, crown tube elongated, 4-5 mm long, slightly enlarged upward.

Nutlets are nearly round or oval, flattened, and smooth. Flowering from July to August.

The growth habit of thyme

Thyme likes a warm, light-loving, and dry environment. It does not have high requirements on the soil, but it grows well in well-drained lime soil.

Loose and well-drained land, facing the sun. Born in rocky mountains, slopes, valleys, ravines, roadsides, and weeds, 1100-3600 meters above sea level.

The main value of thyme

1. Ecology Thyme plants are relatively low, with stolons that grow along the ground surface, extending nearly horizontally.

The adventitious buds on the stem can germinate many root systems and form a very strong root network, which can effectively prevent soil erosion.

Because thyme has outstanding cold tolerance, drought tolerance, barren tolerance, resistance to diseases and insects, as well as fast growth, large flower volume, long flowering period, and pleasant fragrance;

It has become a rare and excellent ground cover plant in urban landscaping, and because of its strong resistance, wide ecological diversity, and clonal growth characteristics;

In many fragile habitats with severe soil degradation, natural dominant plant species or single superior groups can be formed, and they play an important ecological function in desertification community composition and ecological succession.

2. Medicinal Thyme can treat many diseases, with a sweet and herb-like smell.

The medicinal records of thyme in China can be traced back to the Northern Song Dynasty. There are records in various Chinese medicine classics.

"Shaanxi Chinese Herbal Medicine" records that it can cure indigestion, general body pain, dispel wind and analgesia, abdominal distension, toothache, and cure stomach cold pain;

"Jiayou Materia Medica," said that it is the main source of swelling and pain; "Xinjiang Handbook of Chinese Herbal Medicine" records the effects of treating colds, dispelling wind, strengthening the spleen and eliminating food, relieving cough and resolving phlegm, warming the middle and dispelling cold, and "Selected Chinese Herbal Medicines from Shaanxi, Gansu and Ningqing" Stomach relieving vomiting and clearing heat and reducing fever;

"Chinese Medicine Plant Illustrated Book" records that it has antispasmodic, expelling wind, and strengthening effects, and is mainly used for inflammation, spastic cough, whooping cough, and sore throat.

Modern medicinal use uses fresh or dry samples of the above-ground part or whole plant, which has the functions of dispelling wind and relieving pain.

3. Edible The whole thyme plant has a fragrant odor. It appeared in people's lives as a spice vegetable and nectar plant for a long time. It is one of the natural flavoring spices used by humans since ancient times.

It was first recorded in China that thyme was used as a seasoning spice in the Yuan Dynasty. When cooking seafood, meat, fish, and other foods, add a little thyme powder to remove the fishy smell and increase the flavor of the dishes;

Adding thyme to pickles and kimchi can improve their fragrance and grassy aroma. In 1970, the International Standard Organization announced that thyme can be used as a food spice.

Tips Comparing and analyzing the nutrients in thyme and common vegetables, it was found that the content of carbohydrate, protein, vitamin C, selenium, iron, calcium, and zinc was higher than that of common vegetables;

In particular, thyme contains a large number of volatile components such as monoterpenes, which have extremely high edible nutritional value to the human body.

Thyme honey has a high concentration, a strong aroma, and a light amber color. Studies have found that thyme honey has a higher amino acid content, which is of great benefit to the human body.

Thyme facts

1. Flower language

Courage, you who like this flower are broad-minded, brave to face difficulties, and have a lot of self-esteem, and will not give in easily.

You believe that tomorrow will be better, make a rational analysis of everything and not be blindly optimistic.

Because of your strong self-esteem, your relationship will not be very intense, which is a type of rational communication.

In addition to its charming fragrance, thyme has a romantic and beautiful meaning-"good luck".

The scarves given to brave knights by women in the Middle Ages in Europe are pierced with thyme, which means to bless everything.

2. Legend

One of the legends There is a legend in ancient Greece that as long as a girl who thinks of spring embroider a thyme pattern on her clothes, or wear thyme on her body, it means looking for a lover and waiting for the love of the suitor.

For a shy men, as long as they drink a cup of thyme tea, I heard that they can pluck up the courage to pursue what they love.

Legend Two Also known as "The Favor of Provence". In Greek mythology, Aphrodite (the god of love and beauty) shed tears when she saw the cruelty of the Trojan War. Her tears fell into the mortal world and became the lovely leaves of thyme.

Another theory is that Troy’s tears of Helen turned into thyme drop by drop. The English word for thyme comes from Greece, which means "courage".

Interesting story

A song poet in the 16th century called the scent of thyme "a paradise at dawn" because it smells fresh and charming, natural and comfortable, and pure and beautiful like heaven.

According to legend, thyme is related to the most glamorous and beautiful Princess Helen of Sparta, who caused the historic Trojan War.

In Greek mythology, thyme is Helen's tears. Princess Helen, who is all over the country, is the daughter of Queen Rita of Sparta and the god Zeus. Because she is very beautiful, countless princes and nobles pursue her.

Helen's adoptive father, King Spartan, in order to avoid everyone fighting for Helen, married her to the new Spartan King Menelaus and became the queen of Sparta.

Not long after the peaceful days, a handsome Trojan prince Paris came to Sparta. After seeing Queen Helen, he was deeply fascinated by her. He tried every means to get close to Helen and confided in love with her. Helen was also attracted by his handsomeness and fell in love with him unconsciously, so the two met and fled to Troy.

However, how did the two young people know that this elopement led to the ten-year Trojan War?

When Troy finally perished and Paris died in battle, Helen couldn't help but shed crystal tears and turned into thyme on the ground. The expression of tears falling gently on her face caused many Trojan warriors to be overwhelmed and swear to protect her.

Therefore, since then, thyme has been given a symbol of courage and vitality. Women will send a sprig of thyme before their beloved samurai goes out to convey their love and encourage each other's courage.

The girl of Sichun embroidered the thyme pattern on her clothes, or wears thyme on her body, which means looking for a lover and waiting for the suitor to show love;

Benefits of thyme

1. Protect the liver Thyme has a natural aroma. It contains a large amount of oleanolic acid. This substance can directly act on the human liver to improve liver function, prevent hepatitis and cirrhosis, and promote liver cell regeneration. It can be eaten regularly. Reduce virus damage to the human liver.

2. Anti-inflammatory and sterilization Thyme contains a variety of natural anti-inflammatory components, especially the high content of linalool and cymene. They can eliminate a variety of bacteria and viruses in the human body. Usually, it can be used for human oral inflammation and tracheitis. The prevention and treatment of upper respiratory tract inflammation such as pneumonia are particularly effective.

3. Relieve pain and itching Analgesic and itching are also important functions of thyme. Its medicinal ingredients such as linalool and paraffin can eliminate inflammation and sterilization and can eliminate a variety of skin fungi. People usually grind thyme directly and take out the juice when people have dermatitis and eczema. Applying to the affected area can quickly reduce the itching symptoms caused by dermatitis and eczema.

4. Prevent high blood pressure Thyme can prevent high blood pressure. The baicalein and apigenin contained in it are all-natural antihypertensive ingredients, and they can reduce the activity of carcinogens in the body, promote blood circulation, and improve the contraction of the heart. Not only do they often eat It can prevent high blood pressure and also play an important role in preventing cancer.

5. Resolve phlegm and relieve cough Thyme contains a lot of volatile oil and some natural aromatic substances. These substances can expand the trachea and speed up the discharge of sputum. People can use it to prevent coughing and sputum. It can also be used for the treatment of human cough and asthma. The effects are very special obvious.

#Perennials #Edible #Botanical #garden #Herb #Fresh #Herbal #Healthy #Spices #Treatment #Benefits #Planting

Author: Ms.Geneva Link: https://www.thumbgarden.com/what-is-thyme/ Source: ThumbGarden The copyright belongs to the author. For commercial reprints, please contact the author for authorization, and for non-commercial reprints, please indicate the source.

[boudhabar]

Colony of the stalked ciliate protozoa (Vorticella)

[thesumlax]

And also!

i`ve been thinking about  speculative biology since @almostrealzine came out. I`m pretty rusty but I`m coming up with some ideas - mostly thinking about small invertebrates since nobody ever pays attention to them.

On the left are just rough sketches of rotifer-like tiny animals with chtitinous appendages.

On the right is a more developed idea, something like a mix of bryozoan and mite - small sessile filter feeders with U-shaped gut, external shell, and rotifer-like internal jaws. They develop jointed defensive spikes that are later repurposed as legs, ciliated tentacles and the stalk are reduced, and the jaws protrude outwards. The sessile and motile forms may also be different life stages of the same animal.

[cellimagelibrary]

Greased Lightning! (Well, sort of) - Image of the Week – May 29, 2017

CIL:41655 - http://www.cellimagelibrary.org/images/41655

Description: Video showing Vorticella (bell-shaped protozoans), ciliates attached to filamentous alga. The myoneme within the stalks contract with one of the fastest known movements in nature. Images were collected using differential interference contrast microscopy at 60X. Honorable Mention, 2011 Olympus BioScapes Digital Imaging Competition®.

Authors: Wim van Egmond and the 2011 Olympus BioScapes Digital Imaging Competition®

Licensing: Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives: This image is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives License

[rbbox]

Cancer pagurus

Cancer pagurus

Cancer pagurus, commonly known as the edible crab or brown crab, is a species of crab found in the North Sea, North Atlantic Ocean and perhaps in the Mediterranean Sea. It is a robust crab of a reddish-brown colour, having an oval carapace with a characteristic "pie crust" edge and black tips to the claws. A mature adult may have a carapace width of up to 25 cm (10 in) and weigh up to 3 kg (6.6 lb). C. pagurus is a nocturnal predator, targeting a range of molluscs and crustaceans. It is the subject of the largest crab fishery in Western Europe, centred on the coasts of the British Isles, with more than 60,000 tonnes caught annually. Description Mouthparts and chelae of a female Ventral view of an egg-bearing female The carapace of C. pagurus adults is a reddish-brown colour, while in young specimens it is purple-brown. It occasionally bears white patches, and is shaped along the front edge into nine rounded lobes, resembling a pie crust. Males typically have a carapace 60 millimetres (2.4 in) long, and females 98 mm (4 in) long, although they may reach up to 150 mm (6 in) long in exceptional cases. Carapace width is typically 150 mm (6 in), or exceptionally up to 250 mm (10 in). A fold of the carapace extends ventrally to constitute a branchial chamber where the gills lie. The first pereiopod is modified into a strong cheliped (claw-bearing leg): the claw's fingers, the dactylus and propodus, are black at the tips. The other pereiopods are covered with rows of short stiff setae; the dactylus of each is black towards the tip, and ends in a sharp point. From the front, the antennae and antennules are visible. Beside these there are the orbits in which the eyes are situated. The mouthparts comprise three pairs of maxillipeds, behind which there are a pair of maxillae, a pair of maxillules, and finally the mandibles. In common with most crabs, the abdomen is folded under the thorax and shows clear sexual dimorphism: in males it is comparatively narrow, whereas in the female it is wider. Life cycle Reproduction occurs in winter; the male stands over the female and forms a cage with his legs protecting her while she moults. Internal fertilisation takes place before the hardening of the new carapace, with the aid of two abdominal appendages (gonopods). After mating, the female retreats to a pit on the sea floor to lay her eggs. Between 250,000 and 3,000,000 fertilised eggs are held under the female's abdomen for up to eight months until they hatch. The first developmental stage after hatching is a planktonic larva (1 mm) called the zoea that develops into a postlarva (megalopa), and finally a juvenile. The first juvenile stage is characterised by a well-developed abdomen, which will, in time, become reduced in size and folded under the sternum. Juveniles settle to the sea floor in the intertidal zone, where they stay until they reach a carapace width of 60–70 mm (2.4–2.8 in) and then migrate to deeper water. The growth rate in males slows from an increase in carapace width of 10 mm per year before it is eight years old, to 2 mm per year thereafter. Females grow at about half the rate of males, probably due to the energetic demands of egg laying. Sexual maturity is reached at a carapace width of 12.7 cm (5.0 in) in females, and 11 cm (4.3 in) in males. Longevity is typically 25–30 years, although exceptional individuals may live for up to 100 years. Distribution and ecology The blue mussel, Mytilus edulis, is a favourite food of Cancer pagurus. Cancer pagurus is abundant throughout the northeast Atlantic as far as Norway in the north and northern Africa in the south, on mixed coarse grounds, mud and sand from the shallow sublittoral to depths of about 100 metres (330 ft). It is frequently found inhabiting cracks and holes in rocks but occasionally also in open areas. Smaller specimens may be found under rocks in the littoral zone. Unconfirmed reports suggest that C. pagurus may also occur in the Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea. Adult C. pagurus are nocturnal, hiding buried in the substrate during the day, but foraging at night up to 50 metres (160 ft) from their hideouts. Their diet includes a variety of crustaceans (including the crabs Carcinus maenas and Pilumnus hirtellus, the porcelain crabs Porcellana platycheles and Pisidia longicornis, and the squat lobster Galathea squamifera) and molluscs (including the gastropods Nucella lapillus and Littorina littorea, and the bivalves Ensis, Mytilus edulis, Cerastoderma edule, Ostrea edulis and Lutraria lutraria). It may stalk or ambush motile prey, and may dig large pits to reach buried molluscs. The main predator of Cancer pagurus is the octopus, which will even attack them inside the crab pots that fishermen use to trap them. Compared to other commercially important crab species, relatively little is known about diseases of Cancer pagurus. Its parasites include viruses, such as the white spot syndrome virus, various bacteria that cause dark lesions on the exoskeleton, and Hematodinium-like dinoflagellates that cause "pink crab disease". Other microscopic pathogens include fungi, microsporidians, paramyxeans and ciliates. Cancer pagurus is also targeted by metazoan parasites, including trematodes and parasitic barnacles. A number of sessile animals occasionally settle as epibionts on the exoskeleton of C. pagurus, including barnacles, sea anemones, serpulid polychaetes such as Janua pagenstecheri, bryozoans and saddle oysters. Fishery Crab pots, Lindisfarne, North Sea Cancer pagurus is heavily exploited commercially throughout its range, being the most commercially important crab species in Western Europe. The crabs are caught using crab pots (similar to lobster pots) which are placed offshore and baited. The catch of C. pagurus has increased steadily, rising from 26,000 tonnes in 1978 to 60,000 t in 2007, of which more than 70% was caught around the British Isles. The fishery is widely dispersed around the British and Irish coasts, and C. pagurus is thought to be overfished across much of this area. Most of the edible crabs caught by the British fleet are exported live for sale in France and Spain. A number of legal restrictions apply to the catching of Cancer pagurus. It is illegal to catch "berried" crabs (females carrying eggs), but since ovigerous females remain in pits dug in the sediment and do not feed, fishing pressure does not affect the supply of larvae. Minimum landing sizes (MLS) for C. pagurus are set by both the European Union technical regulations and by the UK government. Different minimum sizes are employed in different geographical areas, to reflect differences in the crab's growth rate across its range. In particular, the "Cromer crab" fishery along the coasts of Suffolk, Norfolk and Lincolnshire is subject to a MLS of 115 mm (4.5 in), rather than the 140 mm (5.5 in) MLS in most of the species' range. An intermediate value of 130 mm (5.1 in) is used in the rest of the North Sea between the 56th parallel north and the Essex–Kent border, and in the Irish Sea south of 55° N. Around Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, there is a separate MLS for males (160 mm or 6.3 in) and females (140 mm or 5.5 in). The Norwegian catch is 8,500 tons annually, compared to 20,000 tons in the United Kingdom, 13,000 tons in Ireland, 8,500 tons in France, and a total 45,000 tons globally. Cookery Around one third of the weight of an adult edible crab is meat, of which one third is white meat from the claws (see declawing of crabs), and two thirds is brown meat from the body. As food, male edible crabs are referred to as cocks and females as hens. Cocks have more sweet white meat; hens have more rich brown meat. Dishes include dressed crab (crab meat arranged in the cleaned shell, sometimes with decoration of other foodstuffs), soups such as bisque or bouillabaisse, pâtés, mousses and hot soufflés. Taxonomy and systematics External identifiers for Cancer pagurus Encyclopedia of Life 1022230 ITIS 98681 NCBI 6755 WoRMS 107276 Also found in: Wikispecies According to the rules of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, Cancer pagurus was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae, which marks the starting point of zoological nomenclature. It was chosen to be the type species of the genus Cancer by Pierre André Latreille in 1810. The specific epithet pagurus is a Latin word, deriving from the Ancient Greek πάγουρος (pagouros), which, alongside "κάρκινος" (karkinos), was used to refer to edible marine crabs; neither classical term can be confidently assigned to a particular species. Although the genus Cancer formerly included most crabs, it has since been restricted to eight species. Within that set of closely related species, the closest relative of C. pagurus is the Jonah crab, Cancer borealis, from the east coast of North America. source - Wikipedia Dear friends, if you liked our post, please do not forget to share and comment like this. If you want to share your information with us, please send us your post with your name and photo at RBbox.in@gmail.com. We will publish your post with your name and photo. thanks for joining us www.rbbox.in

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[adelicateculturecell]

"Now, it's important to note here that we're using this word "contracting" like it's a uniform behavior done in the same way in all ciliates. Just like how animals have a lot of different ways to run around, ciliates have a lot of different ways to contract. Vorticella, for example don't contract their whole bodies, they spiralize their stalks, which coil them towards whatever they're attached to, and away from whatever stimuli has set them off. Spirostomum have their own twist--a literal one. Specialized membrane structures and a long coil a microtubles spin their ends, while keeping their middle stable to activate contraction in an ultra-fast movement that was only really deeply understood in 2019."

Journey to the Microcosmos- Flinching Saves Lives in the Microcosmos

Images Originally Captured by Jam's Germs

[exetertrees]

Pleioblastus viridistriatus is perennial and forms leptomorphic rhizomes . The woody stalks grow upright, are 20 to 60 inches long and have a diameter of 1 to 2 millimeters. The internodes are stalk-shaped, hollow and hairy beneath the knot as well as the stem itself. There are no or only a few lateral branches formed. The Halmblattscheiden are finely fluffy hair with bent back hairs. The blade leaves are lanceolate, about 0.5 inches long and stand upright. The foliage leaf sheaths are also finely fluffy hairy. The liguleis membranous and can be ciliated. The leaf blade is connected to the leaf blade sheath with a short, stalk-like base. (Sweet grasses do not form petioles). The blade is lanceolate, 15 to 20 inches long and 15 to 25 millimeters wide, medium green to yellowish green and striped. Both sides of the spread are dense, fluffy hairy. The Spreitenende is pointed. The inflorescences consist of a few spikelets , with one to three spikelets are fertile and petiolate. The fertile spikelets have six to 8 florets with a not fully formed florets at the top. The spikelets are linearly shaped, laterally flattened and 40 to 50 millimeters long. It is formed a permanent glume . It is shorter than the spikelet, lanceolate, 10 to 23 millimeters long, membranous, oblong, seven-pointed and pointed. Another, underlying may be present, but is inconspicuous. Per fertile floretsis an elliptical, 13 to 15 mm long, seven-veined, membranous, pointed lemma without keel formed. The palea is about the same length as the lemma. The tip-growing barren florets are similar to the fertile ones, but are not fully developed. Three erectile tissue , three stamens and three scars are formed per flower . The fruits are caryopses with adherent pericarp and a tip without appendages. The species is native to Japan and is also cultivated in the United States and New Zealand. Pleioblastus are evergreen bamboos, diverse in size and habit, with vigorously-spreading rhizomes forming dense thickets of slender canes bearing several leafy branches at each node P. viridistriatus is a small evergreen bamboo forming a compact colony of erect, purplish-green canes to 2m in height, with narrow, yellow and green striped leaves up to 20cm in length ===Useful information=== http://ift.tt/2Ers6gw http://ift.tt/2F4lJ3Z ===Scientific information=== Order : Sweetgrass-like (Poales) Family : Sweet Grasses (Poaceae) Subfamily : Bamboo (Bambusoideae) Tribus : Arundinarieae Genus : Pleioblastus Type : Pleioblastus viridistriatus Scientific name Pleioblastus viridistriatus

[abrahalliver]

The Hidden Life in Pond Water from BioQuest Studios on Vimeo.

We don't need to dive into the deep ocean to find the most unusual lifeforms. This short clip is a journey into a bizarre world of microscopic inhabitants of pond water.

You will see water fleas, bryozoans, water mites, mayfly nymphs, ostracods, and, of course, hydras. They jump, crawl, and float in a completely alien environment filled with mesmerizing algae and bushes of ciliates on stalks.

Visit bioqueststudios.com.au for more recent work

[adelicateculturecell]

"As they grow older, the suctorians settle into different forms, like the ones we've been watching for most of this video. The maturing suctorians create stalks that attach to whatever substrate seems most appealing, which can even include the bodies of other animals. And that's where they will stay, exchanging cilia for tentacles, and swarming for sessility--a lack of mobility."

Journey to the Microcosmos- Suctorians: The Ugly Duckling of Ciliates

Images Originally Captured by Jam's Germs