ROTIFERS

Rotifers are small, multi-cellular animals, mostly living in freshwater or seawater. 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, 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]

WATER BEARS

COMMON NAME:  Water Bear Kingdom / Phylum: Animalia / Tardigrada Class / Subclass: . Order / Suborder: . Family / Subfamily: . Genus / Species: . Date: 07/27/2009 Location: Patagonia, Santa Cruz Co., AZ Magnification: 10x objective, brightfield
From Patagonia-Sonoita Creek

FLATWORMS

COMMON NAME:  Flatworm Kingdom / Phylum: Animalia / Platyhelminthes Class / Subclass: Turbellaria Order / Suborder: . Family / Subfamily: . Genus / Species: . Date: 07/14/2009 Location: Sierra Vista, Cochise Co., AZ Magnification: 4x objective, darkfield
From rainwater ditch. Subject was active and changed shape. [INFO]

CRUSTACEANS

COMMON NAME:  Nauplius, possibly of Cyclops Kingdom / Phylum: Animalia / Arthropoda Class / Subclass: Crustacea Order / Suborder: Eucopepoda / Cyclopoida Family / Subfamily: Cyclopidae Genus / Species: Cyclops sp. Date: 07/18/2009 Location: Parker Canyon Lake, AZ Magnification: 10x objective, lightfield & darkfield
From shoreline of lake.

COMMON NAME:  Copepod: Cyclops, female with eggs Kingdom / Phylum: Animalia / Arthropoda Class / Subclass: Crustacea Order / Suborder: Eucopepoda / Cyclopoida Family / Subfamily: Cyclopidae Genus / Species: Cyclops sp. Date: 07/14/2009 Location: Sierra Vista, Cochise Co., AZ Magnification: 4x objective, darkfield
From rainwater ditch. Subject was very active and would rarely slow down enough to pose for pictures. [INFO]

COMMON NAME:  Seed Shrimp (Ostracod) Kingdom / Phylum: ? / ? Class / Subclass: Crustacea / Ostracoda Order / Suborder: . Family / Subfamily: . Genus / Species: . Date: 07/13/2009 Location: Sierra Vista, Cochise Co., AZ Magnification: 10x objective, brightfield & darkfield
Ostracod from rainwater ditch. [INFO]

COMMON NAME:  Seed Shrimp (Ostracod) Kingdom / Phylum: ? / ? Class / Subclass: Crustacea / Ostracoda Order / Suborder: . Family / Subfamily: . Genus / Species: . Date: 07/14/2009 Location: Sierra Vista, Cochise Co., AZ Magnification: 10x & 4x objective, brightfield & darkfield
Ostracod from rainwater ditch

COMMON NAME:  Seed Shrimp (Ostracod) Kingdom / Phylum: ? / ? Class / Subclass: Crustacea / Ostracoda Order / Suborder: . Family / Subfamily: . Genus / Species: . Date: 07/21/2009 Location: Sierra Vista, Cochise Co., AZ Magnification: 10x
Ostracod from rainwater ditch

COMMON NAME:  Fairy shrimp, hatchling Kingdom / Phylum: ? / ? Class / Subclass: Crustacea / Branchiopoda Order / Suborder: Anostraca (Fairy Shrimp) Family / Subfamily: . Genus / Species: Eubranchipus sp. Date: 07/13/2009 Location: Sierra Vista, Cochise Co., AZ Magnification: 4x objective, brightfield
Vernal pool fairy shrimp from rainwater ditch. One large compound eye at bottom rotates back and forth

COMMON NAME:  Amphipod Kingdom / Phylum: ? / ? Class / Subclass: Crustacea / Amphipoda Order / Suborder: . Family / Subfamily: . Genus / Species: . Date: 07/18/2009 Location: Parker Canyon Lake, AZ Magnification: 4x objective, darkfield & brightfield
Amphipod from lake. [INFO]

CILIATES

COMMON NAME:  Ciliate, Vorticella Kingdom / Phylum: Animalia / Ciliophora Class / Subclass: Peritrichia Order / Suborder: . Family / Subfamily: . Genus / Species: . Date: 09/27/2009 Location: Patagonia, Santa Cruz Co., AZ Magnification: 10x objective, brightfield / darkfield
Vorticella tethered to clump of algae from Patagonia-Sonoita Creek

COMMON NAME:  Dileptus Kingdom / Phylum: Protista / Ciliphora Class / Subclass: Ciliatea / Rhabdophorina (?Holotrichia) Order / Suborder: Haptorida Family / Subfamily: Trachelidae Genus / Species: Dileptus sp. Date: 07/18/2009 Location: Parker Canyon Lake, AZ Magnification: 10x objective
From shoreline of lake. head is at top left.

COMMON NAME:  Protist, Actinopod Kingdom / Phylum: Protista / ? Class / Subclass: . Order / Suborder: . Family / Subfamily: . Genus / Species: . Date: 07/16/2009 Location: Sierra Vista, Cochise Co., AZ Magnification: 40x objective
From rainwater ditch.

COMMON NAME:  Scenedesmus Kingdom / Phylum: Protista / Chlorophyta (Green Protists) Class / Subclass: . Order / Suborder: . Family / Subfamily: . Genus / Species: Scenedesmus sp. Date: 07/16/2009 Location: Sierra Vista, Cochise Co., AZ Magnification: 40x objective
From rainwater ditch [info].

COMMON NAME:  Zooflagellate, Peranema with diatom Kingdom / Phylum: Protista / Zoomastigina (Flagellated Protists) Class / Subclass: . Order / Suborder: . Family / Subfamily: . Genus / Species: Peranema sp. Date: 07/16/2009 Location: Sierra Vista, Cochise Co., AZ Magnification: 40x objective
From rainwater ditch.

COMMON NAME:  Ciliate, protozoan, Bursaria Kingdom / Phylum: Protista / Ciliophora Class / Subclass: Spirotrichea Order / Suborder: Heterotrichida Family / Subfamily: Bursariidae Genus / Species: Bursaria sp. Date: 07/15/2009 Location: Sierra Vista, Cochise Co., AZ Magnification: 4x objective
From rainwater ditch. One of the largest heterotrich ciliates known but still barely visible to the eye.

COMMON NAME:  Protist, Euplotes Kingdom / Phylum: Animalia / Ciliophora Class / Subclass: Ciliatea / Spirotricha Order / Suborder: Hypotrichida / Sporadotrichina Family / Subfamily: Euplotidae Genus / Species: Euplotes sp. Date: 07/18/2009 Location: Parker Canyon Lake, AZ Magnification: 40x objective
From shoreline of lake. ID [source]

ALGAE

COMMON NAME:  Desmid, Closterium Kingdom / Phylum: Plantae / Chlorophyta Class / Subclass: Chlorophyceae Order / Suborder: Zygnematales or Desmidiales Family / Subfamily: Desmidiaceae Genus / Species: Closterium sp. Date: 07/16/2009 Location: Sierra Vista, Cochise Co., AZ Magnification: 40x objective
From rainwater ditch. Note ball of crystals at tip.

COMMON NAME:  Algae Kingdom / Phylum: Plantae / ? Class / Subclass: . Order / Suborder: . Family / Subfamily: . Genus / Species: . Date: 07/19/2009 Location: Sierra Vista, Cochise Co., AZ Magnification: 40x objective
From lake.

COMMON NAME:  Unidentified Kingdom / Phylum: ? / ? Class / Subclass: . Order / Suborder: . Family / Subfamily: . Genus / Species: . Date: 07/16/2009 Location: Sierra Vista, Cochise Co., AZ Magnification: 40x objective
From rainwater ditch.

COMMON NAME:  Unidentified Kingdom / Phylum: ? / ? Class / Subclass: . Order / Suborder: . Family / Subfamily: . Genus / Species: . Date: 07/16/2009 Location: Sierra Vista, Cochise Co., AZ Magnification: 40x objective
From rainwater ditch.

COMMON NAME:  Unidentified Kingdom / Phylum: ? / ? Class / Subclass: . Order / Suborder: . Family / Subfamily: . Genus / Species: . Date: 07/16/2009 Location: Sierra Vista, Cochise Co., AZ Magnification: 40x objective
From rainwater ditch.

COMMON NAME:  Algae, Pediastrum Kingdom / Phylum: Plantae / ? Class / Subclass: Chlorophyceae Order / Suborder: Chlorococcales Family / Subfamily: Hydrodictyaceae Genus / Species: Pediastrum sp. Date: 07/16/2009 Location: Sierra Vista, Cochise Co., AZ Magnification: 40x objective
From rainwater ditch.

DIATOMS

COMMON NAME:  Algae, diatom Kingdom / Phylum: Chromalveolata / Heterokontophyta Class / Subclass: Bacillariophyceae Order / Suborder: Pennales Family / Subfamily: . Genus / Species: . Date: 07/16/2009 Location: Sierra Vista, Cochise Co., AZ Magnification: 40x objective
From rainwater ditch.

COMMON NAME:  Algae, diatom Kingdom / Phylum: Chromalveolata / Heterokontophyta Class / Subclass: Bacillariophyceae Order / Suborder: Pennales Family / Subfamily: . Genus / Species: . Date: 07/16/2009 Location: Sierra Vista, Cochise Co., AZ Magnification: 40x objective
From rainwater ditch.

COMMON NAME:  Algae, diatom Kingdom / Phylum: Chromalveolata / Heterokontophyta Class / Subclass: Bacillariophyceae Order / Suborder: Pennales Family / Subfamily: . Genus / Species: . Date: 07/16/2009 Location: Sierra Vista, Cochise Co., AZ Magnification: 40x objective
From rainwater ditch.

COMMON NAME:  Algae, diatom Kingdom / Phylum: Chromalveolata / Heterokontophyta Class / Subclass: Bacillariophyceae Order / Suborder: Pennales Family / Subfamily: . Genus / Species: . Date: 07/16/2009 Location: Sierra Vista, Cochise Co., AZ Magnification: 40x objective
From rainwater ditch.

COMMON NAME:  Algae, diatom Kingdom / Phylum: Chromalveolata / Heterokontophyta Class / Subclass: Bacillariophyceae Order / Suborder: Pennales Family / Subfamily: . Genus / Species: . Date: 07/16/2009 Location: Sierra Vista, Cochise Co., AZ Magnification: 40x objective
From rainwater ditch.

COMMON NAME:  Possible shell of dead diatom Kingdom / Phylum: Chromalveolata / Heterokontophyta Class / Subclass: Bacillariophyceae Order / Suborder: Pennales Family / Subfamily: . Genus / Species: . Date: 07/16/2009 Location: Sierra Vista, Cochise Co., AZ Magnification: 40x objective
From rainwater ditch.

COMMON NAME:  Algae, diatom, Synedra Kingdom / Phylum: Chromalveolata / Heterokontophyta Class / Subclass: Bacillariophyceae Order / Suborder: Pennales Family / Subfamily: . Genus / Species: . Date: 07/18/2009 Location: Parker Canyon Lake, AZ Magnification: 40x objective
From rainwater ditch.

COMMON NAME:  Algae, diatom, Synedra Kingdom / Phylum: ? / ? Class / Subclass: . Order / Suborder: . Family / Subfamily: . Genus / Species: . Date: 07/16/2009 Location: Sierra Vista, Cochise Co., AZ Magnification: 40x objective
From rainwater ditch.

COMMON NAME:  Algae, diatom Kingdom / Phylum: ? / ? Class / Subclass: . Order / Suborder: . Family / Subfamily: . Genus / Species: . Date: 07/18/2009 Location: Parker Canyon Lake, AZ Magnification: 40x objective
From shoreline of lake.

COMMON NAME:  Algae, diatom, Navicula Kingdom / Phylum: ? / ? Class / Subclass: . Order / Suborder: . Family / Subfamily: . Genus / Species: Navicula striatula Date: 07/18/2009 Location: Parker Canyon Lake, AZ Magnification: 40x objective
From shoreline of lake.

COMMON NAME:  Ciliate Kingdom / Phylum: . / . Class / Subclass: . Order / Suborder: . Family / Subfamily: . Genus / Species: . Date: 09/27/2009 Location: Patagonia, Santa Cruz Co., AZ Magnification: 40x objective, brightfield
From Patagonia-Sonoita Creek

COMMON NAME:  Ciliate Kingdom / Phylum: . / . Class / Subclass: . Order / Suborder: . Family / Subfamily: . Genus / Species: . Date: 09/27/2009 Location: Patagonia, Santa Cruz Co., AZ Magnification: 40x objective, brightfield
From Patagonia-Sonoita Creek

COMMON NAME:  Algae, Diatom Kingdom / Phylum: . / . Class / Subclass: . Order / Suborder: . Family / Subfamily: . Genus / Species: . Date: 09/27/2009 Location: Patagonia, Santa Cruz Co., AZ Magnification: 10x objective, brightfield
From Patagonia-Sonoita Creek

COMMON NAME:  Algae Kingdom / Phylum: . / . Class / Subclass: . Order / Suborder: . Family / Subfamily: . Genus / Species: . Date: 09/27/2009 Location: Patagonia, Santa Cruz Co., AZ Magnification: 10x objective, brightfield
From Patagonia-Sonoita Creek

COMMON NAME:  Algae Kingdom / Phylum: . / . Class / Subclass: . Order / Suborder: . Family / Subfamily: . Genus / Species: . Date: 09/27/2009 Location: Patagonia, Santa Cruz Co., AZ Magnification: 40x objective, brightfield
From Patagonia-Sonoita Creek

COMMON NAME:  Algae, Spirogyra Kingdom / Phylum: . / . Class / Subclass: . Order / Suborder: . Family / Subfamily: . Genus / Species: . Date: 09/27/2009 Location: Patagonia, Santa Cruz Co., AZ Magnification: 10x objective, brightfield
From Patagonia-Sonoita Creek

COMMON NAME:  Algae, Gonium Kingdom / Phylum: . / Chlorophyta Class / Subclass: . Order / Suborder: . Family / Subfamily: . Genus / Species: Gonium sp. Date: 09/27/2009 Location: Patagonia, Santa Cruz Co., AZ Magnification: 40x objective, brightfield
From Patagonia-Sonoita Creek

COMMON NAME:  Amoeba Kingdom / Phylum: . / . Class / Subclass: . / Gymnamoeba Order / Suborder: . Family / Subfamily: . Genus / Species: . Date: 09/27/2009 Location: Patagonia, Santa Cruz Co., AZ Magnification: 40x objective, brightfield
From Patagonia-Sonoita Creek

COMMON NAME:  Amoeba Kingdom / Phylum: . / . Class / Subclass: . Order / Suborder: . Family / Subfamily: . Genus / Species: . Date: 09/27/2009 Location: Patagonia, Santa Cruz Co., AZ Magnification: 40x objective, brightfield
From Patagonia-Sonoita Creek

COMMON NAME:  Amoeba Kingdom / Phylum: . / . Class / Subclass: . Order / Suborder: . Family / Subfamily: . Genus / Species: . Date: 09/27/2009 Location: Patagonia, Santa Cruz Co., AZ Magnification: 40x objective, brightfield
Amoeba with engulfed diatom, from Patagonia-Sonoita Creek

COMMON NAME:  Actinopod Kingdom / Phylum: Protista / Ciliophora Class / Subclass: . Order / Suborder: . Family / Subfamily: . Genus / Species: . Date: 09/27/2009 Location: Patagonia, Santa Cruz Co., AZ Magnification: 10x objective, brightfield
Possible Actinosphaerium, from Patagonia-Sonoita Creek

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