Rotaria rotatoria Pallas, 1766
Rotaria rotatoria: whirling specimen from (5); in contrast to some other Rotaria-species like for example R. macrura this species is characterized by a rostrum (arrowhead) that is aligned perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the animal. The transect of the rostrum is semicircular.
 
Rotaria rotatoria: pregnant specimen from (6) with 3 descendants: two eggs (arrowheads) and one already fully grown embryo (arrow). Rotifers of the genus Rotaria are viviparous.
 
Rotaria rotatoria: creeping specimen, lateral view; focus plane on the dorsal antenna. In contrast to Rotaria macrura the dorsal rostrum lamella is longer than the ventral side which gives a beak-like appearance.(5)
 
Rotaria rotatoria: habitus while whirling; the whole animal is pretty slender, no distinct humps, with long foot. (1)
 
Rotaria rotatoria: creeping movement(1)
 
Rotaria rotatoria: same specimen, whirling; anterior part. Left: focus plane on the rostrum, which, in this optical transect is semicircular while orientated perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the animal when the corona is protruded. Right: focus plane on the two-lobed upper lip.
 
Rotaria rotatoria: dorsal view of the head, whirling. Focus plane on the red eyespots of the rostrum (5). It seems as if the rostrum is orientated orthogonally to the longitudinal axis (see image below) and thus the ventral side of the rostrum might be semicircular.
 
Rotaria rotatoria: another specimen (4.4.2012, Haspelmoor, Bavaria) while whirling, lateral view. The rostrum is orientated orthogonally to the longitudinal axis. The colony of algae which is in the vortex of the trochal discs is Synura sphagnicola. (3)
 
Rotaria rotatoria; rostrum with divided lamella and two red eyespots (4)
 
Rotaria rotatoria, rostrum with cilia. The cilia have probably sensory functions.(2)
 
Rotaria rotatoria, rostrum of a whirling specimen. The upper image shows an optical transect of the rostrum. The arrowheads point to the bulbous base of two sensory bristles which are visible in the lower picture. (Both pictures are still images from a video). (5)
 
Rotaria rotatoria, trunk of a specimen which is compressed by the coverslide In contrast to many other bdelloids some (??all??) of the rotifers o genus Rotaria have only 4 nuclei in the syncytial vitellarim (marked by arrowheads). The nuclei are very big because of extensive polyploidism. Lower right corner shows the trophi with dental formula (DF): 2/2. (7)
 
 
 
Rotaria rotatoria; focus on the retractable foot which acts like a telescope
 
Rotaria rotatoria; foot with spurs (s) and 3 toes (Z). The number of toes is important for the identification of the different bdelloid genera. (1)
 
Rotaria rotatoria; integument. In contrast to other Rotaria rotifers like Rotaria neptunia the integument has small wreaths of 5 or 6 protuberances around each pore. (6)
 
Rotaria rotatoria; specimen from (8)
 
 
Location (7): Haselbecke, Hattingen Felderbachtal, NRW Germany; creek
 
Habitat (7): sediment between moss in lotic water . (click image to enlarge >>>)
 
Date (7): 30.12.2021
 
 
 
 
Location (8): nature reserve NSG Unteres Odertal; BB, Germany; Mummertgraben, footpath, puddle
 
Habitat (8):between algae
 
Date (8): 15.05.2023
 
 
 
 
location: Gevelsberg Grünes Klassenzimmer (1); Wuppertal, compensation pond (2); Haspelmoor, Bavaria (3); Hattingen Oberstueter, pond (5); St. Mathieu, Bretagne, France, creek (6); Hattingen Haselbecke, Felderbachtal,Hattingen, NRW, Germany (7)
lhabitat: periphyton (1; 2; 3; 5; 6); moss in lotic
date: 24.01.2012 (2) 04.04.2012 (3); 19.01.2012 (4); 25.08.2016 (5); 26.08.2020 (6)
 
 
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