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Mag. 400x (1, 3-5), 200x (2)

• A pond-side water sample (retentate) was taken on 10/14/2023 using a 10µ dip net to enrich for microorganisms. Air temp 58F.

The first image is an extended view of the bulk of the colony. The 2nd image pictures the entire colony at 2 depths of field. The last images attempt to capture the cone and flagellum apparatus. Scanning the cells reveals that some individuals are stalked (perhaps all are). Video: https://youtu.be/fuYWVPUe3CA. These cells may be a member of genus Sphaeroeca, https://eol.org/pages/92841/media. Additional Refs.:

1. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/choanoflagellates-multicellularity-evolution
2. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aay2346?utm_campaign=SciMag&utm_source=JHubbard&utm_medium=Twitter
3. https://www.plingfactory.de/Science/Atlas/KennkartenProtista/01e-protista/e-Zooflagellata/e-source/Sphaeroeca%20volvox.html (Wow!)