Kevin Mackenzie
Lips, 2006
Photomicrograph; Zeiss Axioskop; 40 + ProgRes C14 digital camera
University of Aberdeen, Microscopy and Cellular Imaging Facility, Institute of Medical Sciences, Aberdeen, Scotland
The common water flea, of the family Daphniidae, is found in most bodies of fresh water. It is a valuable food source for animals such as fish and newts. The water flea’s transparent body offers a clear view of all their body systems, which makes them an ideal subject for microscopical examination using brightfield illumination. The water flea depicted here has just eaten a meal of green algae that appears as a green line throughout the animal’s digestive tract. This close up of the head also reveals the flea’s wispy antennae at top, a large compound eye (appears as a dark spot), and a beak-like mouth observed at the left.
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k.s.mackenzie@abdn.ac.uk