Egg of the rotifer Lecane clara
 
Dear visitor,

The initial idea for this website came up when we wanted to document the ecological work of our highschool which is located in the southern part of the Ruhr-district in Germany, thereby creating an online catalogue of the species occuring in the surroundings of our school. The focus was on the microscopical life in aquatic freshwater environments, i.e. a small pond that has been surveyed for more than 10 years before it was replaced by a new pond. A nearby brook complements the biodiversity with species typical for lotic waters.

The first update followed when the biological (marine and terrestrial) results of our excursions to the mediterranean sea were added.

If one tries to identify microscopical organisms it soon becomes evident that certain species can only be unequivocally identified by comparing them with other closely related species from other habitats. Therefore the online catalog now covers species collected and studied from other locations, first within Germany. One emphasis is now on rotifers. So discoveries from locations of adjoining European countries are included as well. About 400 species of rotifers are documented up to now.

Also the section of the marine species has undergone an update by adding images of species from several diving excursions in tropical sea areas.

Michael Plewka
news & updates
Some rotifers found in the liverwort Frullania dilatata
The bdelloid rotifer species Habrotrocha annulata and Mniobia scarlatina have been observed in a liverwort sample (Frullania dilatata) from Switzerland.
Habrotrocha reclusa
Habrotrocha reclusa is one of the bdelloid rotifer species that occurs in the hyaline cells of the peat moss Sphagnum.
Paraquadrula irregularis

The beautiful rhizopod Paraquadrula irregularis has been found in a moss sample from the Old Man of Storr/ Skye/ Scotland.
 
 
Ceratotrocha cornigera

This strange looking bdelloid rotifer has been found in Witten, Germany.
Some rotifers from Spitsbergen (Svalbard)
A trip to the islands of Spitsbergen (Svalbard) revealed some rotifers which have not been covered on this website before: Encentrum uncinatum and E. permolle, and some Bdelloids like Habrotrocha elusa and a strange morphotype of Adineta cuneata.
Some organisms from Bodman & Simmelried / Germany

At the end of September 2017 the traditional meeting of some microscopists from Austria, Switzerland and Germany took place in the beautiful location in Bodman at the Bodensee. In samples from the Bodensee, Mindelsee, and the "Simmelried" some rotifers were found, among others Beauchampiella eudactylota, Collotheca mutabilis, Colurella tesselata, and Mytilina bisulcata, some microscopic details on Squatinella mutica and Trichocerca intermedia. Some Euglenoids like Trachelomonas ellipsoidalis and Trachelomonas verrucosa var. granulosa have been found as well.
Some new rotifers & additions
As a supplement to the paper of Iakovenko et al. (2015): "Antarctic bdelloid rotifers: diversity, endemism and evolution" some images of the species described are presented here. In this survey some new species have been discovered, for example Adineta coatsae, Habrotrocha vernadskii or Macrotrachela jankoi. Others are endemic like Adineta editae or Habrotrocha angularis. The whole list of the documented species in this website can be found here .
Some organisms from a salt spring
A sample from the "Elisabethquelle" in Bad Frankenhausen/ Südharz revealed some interesting organisms, among others some special protists like Loxophyllum verrucosum, Chlamydodon triquetrus and Lacrymaria salinarum. The rotifers include Encentrum marinum and Lecane arcuata. Also some autotroph organisms were found: Enteromorpha sp.and Melosira nummuloides.
Some new rotifers & additions
Proales doliaris and Brachionus urceolaris from Griendtsveen/NL; Arcella artocrea; Macrotrachela nana ligulata; Habrotrocha collaris with parasites; Rotaria citrina from Ebbemoore/ NRW, Aspidiophorus silvaticus and Encentrum martoides from Norway, Euastrum binale; ; Closterium navicula.
Some rotifers from the Phillipines
Anilao in the Batangas area of Luzon/ Philippines is one of the most rewarding dive locations in the world for underwater macro photographers. But this is not all. A moss sample collected in Club Ocellaris revealed some interesting bdelloid rotifers, among others a new form of Adineta.
Some monogonont rotifers
Pourriotia werneckii (Proales werneckii), Encentrum marinum and Cephalodella cf. tenuior have been found in pond near Hattingen, Germany.
Updated
New images for Macrotrachela multispinosa var. brevispinosa, Macrotrachela plicata var. plicata, Philodina flaviceps, Philodina rugosa, Rotaria sordida, Floscularia melicerta.
Abrochtha intermedia from an ephemeral puddle in Germany
Abrochtha intermedia has been found in an ephemeral puddle in Hagen/ Germany. Although this species is supposed to be cosmopolitan this may be the first discovery of A. intermedia in Germany.
Updated information for some rotifers, desmids and protists.
How does Floscularia ringens build its tube?; Some photographic insights in the morphology of the tube building organ. New images for Philodina roseola. New Cosmarium (C.margaritiferum) added.
Updated information for some rotifers, desmids and protists.
Updated information for the monogonont rotifers Lecane hamata, and the bdelloid rotifer Adineta vaga. Images of the desmids Cosmarium margaritatum, Cosmarium tetragonum, Cosmarium speciosum and Closterium archerianum added. A new ciliated protist with lorica Vaginicola cf. terricola found in a moss sample.
Updated information for some rotifers and protists
Updated information for the monogonont rotifers Colurella obtusa, Encentrum mustela, Keratella ticinensis, Pleurotrocha petromyzon, Pleurotrocha sigmoidea, Squatinella mutica var. mutica, and the bdelloid rotifer Philodina citrina. Images of the protists Euglypha acanthophora and Wailesella eboracensis added.
Four new rotifers & some protist images added
A strange kind of Scepanotrocha, probably S.parva, Habrotrocha flaviformis, Macrotrachela festinans and Macrotrachela petulans have been found in NRW. New images for Proales fallaciosa, Urocentrum turbo and Blepharisma lateritium.
Some Microinvertebrates from Svalbard
Encentrum permolle, Macrotrachela nana, Macrotrachela musculosa, a strange kind of Adineta gracilis and some Tardigrades from James I Land, Svalbard.
Some interesting species from the Simmelried near Konstanz, Germany
Macrochaetus subquadratus and some nice protists like Chilodonella caudata and Coleps amphacanthus as well as Trachelomonas armata were found in a bog of the Simmelried venn.
Two rotifers from Czech Republic
Asplanchna priodonta var. henrietta and Brachionus diversicornis were found in Bohemia, Czech Republic.
Notommata pachyura
Notommata pachyura pachyura, a rotifer that can get very big has been found in Hattingen.
On the feeding of Collotheca pelagica
Some insights into the digestive system of Collotheca pelagica.
Beauchampiella eudactylota
Beauchampiella eudactylota has been found in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.
Tetrasiphon hydrocora
Tetrasiphon hydrocora has been found in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.
Some new images for Scepanotrocha rubra, Cephalodella gracilis and Lecane agilis from new locations.
Kellicottia bostoniensis
Kellicottia bostoniensis has been found in the Ohligser Heide, NRW, Germany.
Enteroplea lacustris
Enteroplea lacustris has been found in the "Rotes Moor" in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.
Wahner Heide/ Cologne/ Germany: a great place for rare critters
Three years ago the rare rotifer Ptygura rotifer (Pseudoecistes rotifer) had been rediscovered in the Wahner Heide near Cologne. Now the newly described bdelloid rotifer Otostephanos jolantae has been found there. This is probably the first record for Germany. The monogonont Trichocerca cavia could be documented for this location as well.
Macrotrachela zickendrahti
Macrotrachela zickendrahti has been found in a nature reserve Oberrasen/ South Tirol. This rotifer looks pretty weird with its bizarre spines.
New images for Macrotrachela habita
Macrotrachela habita has been found in a moor-area near the Steinhuder Meer in Lower Saxony/ Germany
Resticula plicata from Bavaria
Resticula plicata has been found in the nature reserve Kendlmuehlfilze in Bavaria/ Germany
Some algae images added
Some new desmids and chlorophyte alge from the Alps and other locations have been added to this site, among others: Cosmarium holmiense, C. subundulatum, C. venustum, Cylindrocystis crassa, Desmidium grevillei, Hyalotheca mucosa, Euastrum ampullaceum, Euastrum crassum, Tetrallantois lagerheimi, Westella botryoides, Xanthidium bifidum.
The eversion of the daughter coenobia of Volvox could be observed.
Some rotifers from South Tirol
At the beginning of Oct. 2014 various soil and moss samples were collected in the Alps of South Tirol. First examinations reveal the rotifers Adineta vaga var. rhomboidea, Adineta tuberculosa , Dissotrocha scutellata and Macrotrachela punctata. A variety of Pleuretra lineata has been found as well.
A new pond-new rotifers
A new pond in Hattingen/NRW reveals some rotifer species not yet described on this site before: Trichocerca bicristata and Testudinella incisa. Hexarthra mira and Collotheca pelagica were found as well in this pond.
Rotaria socialis
The bdelloid rotifer Rotaria socialis from the water reservoir Wuppertalsperre.
Aspidiophorus silvaticus - a strange gastrotrich
The hairyback (gastrotrich) Aspidiophorus silvaticus has been found in a forest near Hattingen. Its habitus is quite unusual for a gastrotrich and resembles that of the rotifer Bryceella.
Macrotrachela tuberilabris
A new bdelloid rotifer has been found in Hattingen: Macrotrachela tuberilabris
Scepanotrocha simplex
The bdelloid rotifer Scepanotrocha simplex has been found in a forest near Hattingen.
Asplanchna sieboldi var. cruciformis etc.
Images for Asplanchna sieboldi var. cruciformis. Corrections and new images for Adineta barbata and Synchaeta longipes.
Some rotifers from Tirol, Austria
The "Pillerseetreffen 2014", held in Tirol, Austria, revealed some interesting rotifer species new to me, e.g. Collotheca edentata, Habrotrocha angusticollis, or Habrotrocha curvicollis. Some new images of Macrotrachela quadricornifera var. quadricornifera, Notommata allantois, Notommata groenlandica, Philodina flaviceps and Philadinavus paradoxus are on exhibition now.
Proales minima from Bavaria
The rotifer Proales minima found in a bavarian pond.
Some new images of Notommata tripus
Images of Notommata tripus from the nature-reserve Schwalm-Nettetal
Some rotifers from Brittany, France
Already in May 2014 some interesting rotifers could be found; eg. Filinia terminalis, Asplanchna (Asplanchnella) girodi, Conochilus dossuarius, 2 variations of Keratella cochlearis and Keratella quadrata and the rare Notholca psammarina.
Revision of the genus Synchaeta
Correction of species names; addition of new images, new species added: Synchaeta longipes
Sinantherina socialis
Images of Sinantherina socialis
Habrorocha novemdens
The rotifer Habrotrocha novemdens found in a bavarian forest.
Dorystoma caudata
The rotifer Dorystoma caudata found in a bavarian pond.
Notommata pseudocerberus
Notommata pseudocerberus found in a bavarian pond.
Trichocerca bidens
Trichocerca bidens found in a bavarian pond.
Otostephanos donneri
Otostephanos donneri found in a bavarian pond
 
Tetraedriella limbata from Bavarian pond
The Xanthophyte Tetraedriella limbata found in the Bergheimer Baggersee, Bavaria
 
mysterious rotifers
Observing rotifers for more than 15 years sometimes leads to finding some specimens that are not described in the literature (as far as this literature is available through libraries) or sources from the www. Here are some of them.
 
Cephalodella ventripes
Cephalodella ventripes found in a water reservoir near Wuppertal/ Germany
 
4 Rotifers from Sweden
Macrotrachela decora, Macrotrachela cf. nana, Habrotrocha lata and Scepanotrocha semitecta from a Sphagnum-sample in Aneboda, Sweden
 
New images for Notholca squamula and Notommata cyrtopus
Notholca squamula and Notommata cyrtopus have been found in new locations
 
Philodina acuticornis odiosa
Philodina acuticornis odiosa from Hattingen/ Germany
 
two rotifers from Mexico
Adineta ?vaga? and Philodina childi found in Bonampak, Mexico
 
Macrotrachela habita
Macrotrachela habita found in Hattingen, Germany; images of specimen from Italy added.
 
Sulawesi dive trip
In November 2013 we had a pleasant stay in the Mapia Resort near manado, the Onong Resort in Siladen and the Lembeh Resort located at the famous Lembeh Strait. Not only has the hospitality in all resorts been overwhelming, but also the knowledge and commitment of the dive guides is fabulous. Here are some images:
 
Proales laticauda
Proales laticauda, an only recently described rotifer found in the Eifel region