ROTIFERS

Rotifers are small, multi-cellular animals, mostly living primarily in freshwater. They can live out their short life cycle in a puddle of water after a rainfall, leaving behind eggs waiting to hatch when it gets wet again [Source].

COMMON NAME:  Rotifer, Brachionus with eggs Kingdom / Phylum: Animalia / Rotifera Class / Subclass: Monogononta Order / Suborder: Ploimida Family / Subfamily: Brachionidae Genus / Species: Brachionus sp. Date: 07/17/2009 Location: Sierra Vista, Cochise Co., AZ Magnification: 10x objective, brightfield
From rainwater ditch. Note smaller rotifer, probably a male, at far right

COMMON NAME:  Rotifer, female with egg Kingdom / Phylum: Animalia / Rotifera Class / Subclass: Monogononta Order / Suborder: Ploimida Family / Subfamily: Brachionidae Genus / Species: Brachionus sp. Date: 07/21/2009 Location: Sierra Vista, Cochise Co., AZ Magnification: 10x objective
Rotifer from rainwater ditch. This rotifer has one large egg. Its foot is mostly kept inside, but was observed to occasionally stick it out through an opening just above the top edge of the egg.

COMMON NAME:  Rotifer, female with egg Kingdom / Phylum: Animalia / Rotifera Class / Subclass: Monogononta Order / Suborder: Ploimida Family / Subfamily: Brachionidae Genus / Species: Brachionus sp. Date: 07/21/2009 Location: Sierra Vista, Cochise Co., AZ Magnification: 40x objective
Rotifer from rainwater ditch.

COMMON NAME:  Rotifer, Hexarthra Kingdom / Phylum: Animalia / Rotifera Class / Subclass: Eurotatoria Order / Suborder: Flosculariaceae Family / Subfamily: Hexarthridae Genus / Species: Hexarthra sp. Date: 07/14/2009 Location: Sierra Vista, Cochise Co., AZ Magnification: 10x objective, brightfield
Rotifer of genus Hexarthra from rainwater ditch About pinpoint size, smaller than an ostracod but barely visible to the eye.

COMMON NAME:  Rotifer, Rotaria Kingdom / Phylum: Animalia / Rotifera Class / Subclass: Bdelloidea Order / Suborder: . Family / Subfamily: Philodinidae Genus / Species: Rotaria Date: 09/01/2009 Location: Sierra Vista, Cochise Co., AZ Magnification: 10x objective, brightfield
Rotifer from rainwater ditch [INFO]

COMMON NAME:  Rotifer Kingdom / Phylum: Animalia / Rotifera Class / Subclass: . Order / Suborder: . Family / Subfamily: . Genus / Species: . Date: 2009 Location: Sierra Vista, Cochise Co., AZ Magnification: 10x objective, brightfield
Rotifer over cyclops nauplius.

All photos ©2009 Colin L. Miller, all rights reserved.