Need help identifying critter

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GaryB
Posts: 521
Joined: Fri Jul 29, 2016 12:18 pm

Need help identifying critter

Post by GaryB »

I took a sample from Puget sound and I've seen quite a large number of these turn up. They're all dead, usually empty with nematodes swimming in and around them. They're quite small, it will fill the view at about 200-300x and I have no idea what they are. It looks like eight legs, each with a single hook claw on the end.

Image

Any ideas? I've never seen them in previous samples from the same location. Sorry about the poor picture quality.

Olympusman
Posts: 5090
Joined: Sun Jan 15, 2012 12:31 pm

Critter

Post by Olympusman »

Looks like a water mite. If the other examples have eight legs that pretty much nails the ID.

Mike
Michael Reese Much FRMS EMS Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA

Olympusman
Posts: 5090
Joined: Sun Jan 15, 2012 12:31 pm

Critter

Post by Olympusman »

Looks like a water mite. If the other examples have eight legs that pretty much nails the ID.

Mike
Michael Reese Much FRMS EMS Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA

Jacek
Posts: 5357
Joined: Sun Oct 02, 2011 7:00 am
Location: Poland

Post by Jacek »

It looks like a water mite larvae, but as it has eight legs it is an adult arachnid :)

GaryB
Posts: 521
Joined: Fri Jul 29, 2016 12:18 pm

Post by GaryB »

Thanks for the replies :D
I just went to look at water mites online and they all seem to have long spindly legs. The only mite I found that had these stumpy legs and pointy head, as well as the distinctive ridge patterning on the body were dust mites. I saw one from the side and the ridges were exactly the same as the picture linked below.

http://waywardblogging.com/wp-content/u ... 24x943.jpg

Maybe a clump of dust from somewhere fell in and contaminated my sample. That would explain why I hadn't seen them previously. :lol:

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