| Brachionus calyciflorus, a plankton rotifer. The ligaments which hold the four eggs are clearly visible |
| |
 |
| Brachionus calyciflorus, another specimen; red arrowheads: muscles and nerve cells; green arrowheads: gastric glands; LT: lateral antenna; D: intestinum; B: bladder. |
| |
 |
| Brachionus calyciflorus, another specimen; |
| |
 |
| Brachionus calyciflorus, another specimen, showing the foot |
|
| |
 |
| Brachionus calyciflorus, another specimen with short spines |
| |
 |
| Brachionus calyciflorus, lateral view of the head showing two sensory organs: dorsal antenna and eyespot. |
| |
 |
| Brachionus calyciflorus, crop of above image; the dorsal antenna is expanded. |
| |
 |
| Brachionus calyciflorus, same specimen with retracted dorsal antenna. |
| |
 |
| Brachionus calyciflorus, focus plane is on the nephridial system (triangles) |
| |
 |
| Another variety of B. calyciflorus with long spines on the back is >>> Brachionus calyciflorus var. anuraeiformis |
| If the carnivorous rotifer Asplanchna is present in the water B. calyciflorus develops long spines which function as a protection because when having spinesthe animal is too bulky to be engulfed by the predator. It has been shown that the growth of the spines is induced by a substance that is produced by Asplanchna itself. An interesting topic with developmental, genetic and ecological facets. |
| |
 |
| Brachionus calyciflorus, malleate trophi (5) |
| |
| Location: Gevelsberg, Grünes Klassenzimmer (pond); Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany, pond (front of IC) (5) |
| Habitat: Plankton (5) |
| Date: 22.05.2006; 12.03.2019 (5) |
|
|
