Jan 11th, 2022: Observations of Freshwater Rotifers

Along with the worms, there were plenty of rotifers in sight. Rotifers in freshwater samples are extremely common--the ones I usually see tend to be rotifers with rounded heads with a toe.

However, for this sample, I found a different kind of rotifer with an intriguing cilia filled vacuum mouth and has 2 little toes.

On this note, the rotifers observed in this sample exhibited their "normal" behavior of moving like snails with their foot, anchoring with their toes, and sucking up food through their mouths.

Curious, I decided to see what would happen if I put a drop of soap water beside the wet mount I prepared on the same microscopic slide (as the ones I used to observe the worms with). As the soap water washed over the creatures, the rotifer above that I was observing very quickly tucked itself into a little ball.

Waiting for the expected bubbles forming at the surface of their membranes like with paramecium meeting soap water, I waited several minutes. Surprisingly, the rotifer's hide didn't start bubbling at all. Instead, I watched its little head poke out again and scan its surroundings~

Once the rotifer felt that the environment wasn't going to change in basicity, it proceeded to unravel itself from its "ball-like" stage into its "normal long stretchy" form again. Even more intrigued, I decided to add 7 more drops of soap water (slowly) to the side of the wet mount; and used a tissue paper to soak up any excess water.

Conclusion:

Even after a total of 8 drops of soap water, the same rotifer held on and survived the soapy waves. It's skin must not be the same as paramecium if it could withstand a total of 8 drops of soapy water.