Microscopic Freshwater Algae

Yeah-yeah, so it's been a while. I know this. I have a huge backlog of weird happenings, crazy tales and amazing new species to share with you, dear reader. In all fairness, you deserve an apology for my atrocious lack of blogging. Which is a shame really, coz I'm just not the apologising type. Sorry 'bout that...(What? No way, I was tricked - dammit!)

Yesterday I attended the first indoor workshop of the recently formed Skye Nature Group. Yep, we've formed a new club, but more (much more) of that at a later date. Nick Hodgetts is the local bryophyte expert, he's actually a national expert too, and rather handily lives just a couple of miles away from here. He led yesterday's bryophyte workshop and has very kindly loaned me his copy of the huge Freshwater Algal Flora of the British Isles. Hell yeah, I've been wanting to have a look through this book for quite some time now! First impressions are impressive. I may have to treat myself.

I'm not known for my petite thumbs - this really is a chunky ol' book!

Lumpy old beast isn't it! It covers over 1700 species (out of approx 2200) though unfortunately doesn't include the diatoms. Anyway, I have a folder of freshwater algae images on my new laptop, some of which were provisionally identified. This mighty tome has allowed me to correct one misidentification and name another species, plus put a few more to family level. So here's a set of images of the microscopic wonders I hauled out of the bog at the top of the hill in mid-September. All came from a small sample of Delicate Stonewort Chara virgata, which stunk my room out with the most awful garlicky smell - I really wasn't expecting that! Bear in mind that these were taken down the barrel of my microscope and are somewhat massively cropped, hence the less-than-mediocre (ok, so let's just call it crap) image quality. 

This is the ultra-funky Euastrum oblongum, amazing isn't it! About a billionth of a mm in length, roughly...

Another Euastrum oblongum with an unidentified (and presumed) Closterium sp. Just so cool. 
EDIT - it's Netrium digitus, not a Closterium at all

This is the very common Euastrum didelta, and not E.humerosum as I initially thought.

Closterium sp - there are over 60 species in Britain, I haven't much hope of nailing this from the pic though.

Probably in the genus Cosmarium. Many similar species, so not a hope of getting further with this individual

Desmidium grevillea - encapsulated in an almost invisible gelatinous sheath, can you see it yet?

I wondered if this was a Cosmarium. Probably not though. Check out that swanky ol' sculptured surface!

Pediastrum angulosum colony - the book sussed this for me, I had no clue!

Despite looking very distinctive, I have not a clue as to what these buggers are!

Staurodesmus convergens - shame it is so badly out of focus. Looks like mating Manta Rays to me...

No bloody idea - looks like a halved cucumber and ought to be obvious. I'll check the book again later... 
EDIT: checked later and came up with none other than Netrium interruptum, cool!

I have to admit that I absolutely love scanning through ditchwater for micro-organisms. It's a real fascination for me to quietly observe the life in a few drops of water, slowly moving around and cautiously bumping into each other whilst a tiny something whizzes past as a spinning streak of motion. And it's genuinely very satisfying when, after a few hours online, I manage to place these tiny lifeforms to genus, maybe even to species. Then to look them up in the Algal Flora and have it confirmed that you can confidently get some individuals down to species. Now that - well, that makes me happy. Naming something that I can't even see with the naked eye, whatever next? Damn, but I love this Pan-species Listing craic!