Plankton: microscopic giants
Tubulariid hydroid
Actinula larva.
Size: visible
Place: Yacht Club de Ilhabela, Ilhabela, SP, Brazil
Tags: 1.0 - 10 mm, artificial substrate, benthic, cebimar-usp, dark field, larva
Hydromedusa
Adult medusa.
Size: visible
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 1.0 - 10 mm, cebimar-usp, jellyfish, macrophotography, planktonic

Hydromedusa
Medusa adulta. A água-viva Olindias sambaquiensis é comum no litoral Sudeste, sobretudo nos meses de inverno e primavera. É conhecida dos banhistas pelo colorido vívido e pelos tentáculos urticantes.
Size: huge
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: >100 mm, cebimar-usp, jellyfish, macrophotography, planktonic
Hydroid and hydromedusa
Newly released medusa.
Size: tiny
Place: Saco Grande, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 0.1 - 1.0 mm, benthic, cebimar-usp, dark field, epibiotic, jellyfish, planktonic, rocky-shore
Hydromedusa
Size: visible
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 1.0 - 10 mm, adult, cebimar-usp, dark field, planktonic
Newly released medusa
Size: visible
Place: Pier Petrobras, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 1.0 - 10 mm, benthic, cebimar-usp, dark field
Hydromedusa
Size: large
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 10 - 100 mm, cebimar-usp, jellyfish, macrophotography, planktonic
Cubozoan
Adult medusa.
Size: visible
Place: Seto fishing port, Shirahama, Japan
Tags: 1.0 - 10 mm, cnidarian tree of life project, jellyfish, macrophotography, planktonic, seto marine biological laboratory
Scyphozoan
Medusa.
Size: large
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 10 - 100 mm, adult, cebimar-usp, jellyfish, macrophotography, planktonic

Scyphozoan
Adult medusa. The juvenile stage the spider crab Libinia ferreirae can be seen inside the bell of the jellyfish Lychnorhiza lucerna.
Size: large
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 10 - 100 mm, adult, cebimar-usp, jellyfish, macrophotography, planktonic, symbiosis
Scyphozoan
Adult medusa
Size: visible
Place: Seto fishing port, Shirahama, Japan
Tags: 1.0 - 10 mm, cnidarian tree of life project, jellyfish, macrophotography, planktonic, seto marine biological laboratory

Zoanthina larva
The zoanthids have two types of larvae. The zoanthellas are cylindrical and have an ventral band of long cilia. The zoanthinas are oval or slightly elongated, with an equatorial band of cilia.
Size: huge
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: >100 mm, benthic, cebimar-usp, dark field, larva, rocky-shore
Brittle star larva
Size: tiny
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 0.1 - 1.0 mm, cebimar-usp, Differential interference contrast, larva, planktonic, planktotrophic
Pluteus
Size: tiny
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 0.1 - 1.0 mm, cebimar-usp, dark field, larva, planktonic
Starfish bipinnaria larva
Size: tiny
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 0.1 - 1.0 mm, cebimar-usp, dark field, larva, planktonic, planktotrophic
Plankton
Vista geral de uma amostra de plâncton vivo, em estereomicroscópio.
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 0.1 - 1.0 mm, cebimar-usp, dark field, planktonic
Plankton
Vista geral de uma amostra de plâncton vivo, em estereomicroscópio.
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 0.1 - 1.0 mm, cebimar-usp, dark field, planktonic
Mysid shrimp
Size: visible
Place: Praia do Segredo, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 1.0 - 10 mm, adult, bright field, cebimar-usp, demersal, planktonic
Parasitized copepod
Size: tiny
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 0.1 - 1.0 mm, adult, cebimar-usp, dark field, parasite, planktonic
Copepod
Female
Size: tiny
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 0.1 - 1.0 mm, adult, cebimar-usp, dark field, planktonic
Copepod
Size: tiny
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 0.1 - 1.0 mm, adult, cebimar-usp, dark field, planktonic
Copepod
Courtship ritual between a male and a female.
Size: tiny
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 0.1 - 1.0 mm, adult, cebimar-usp, Differential interference contrast, planktonic
Copepod
Courtship ritual between a male and a female.
Size: tiny
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 0.1 - 1.0 mm, adult, cebimar-usp, dark field, planktonic
Copepod
Size: tiny
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 0.1 - 1.0 mm, adult, cebimar-usp, dark field, planktonic
Copepod
Size: micro
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: <0.1 mm, adult, cebimar-usp, dark field, planktonic
Copepod
Size: tiny
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 0.1 - 1.0 mm, adult, cebimar-usp, dark field, planktonic
Copepod
Size: tiny
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 0.1 - 1.0 mm, adult, cebimar-usp, dark field, planktonic
Sergestid shrimp
Size: visible
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 1.0 - 10 mm, adult, cebimar-usp, dark field, planktonic
Sergestid shrimp
Size: visible
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 1.0 - 10 mm, adult, cebimar-usp, dark field, planktonic
Zoea larva
Size: tiny
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 0.1 - 1.0 mm, cebimar-usp, dark field, larva, planktonic, planktotrophic
Mantis shrimp larva
Size: none
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: cebimar-usp, dark field, larva, planktonic, planktotrophic
Ostracod
Size: tiny
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 0.1 - 1.0 mm, adult, cebimar-usp, dark field, planktonic
Comb jelly or ctenophore
Adult specimen.
Size: large
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 10 - 100 mm, adult, cebimar-usp, macrophotography, planktonic
Holoplanktonic polychaete
Size: visible
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 1.0 - 10 mm, adult, cebimar-usp, dark field, planktonic

Bryozoan larva (cyphonautes)
One type of larva typical of bryozoans, cyphonauts spend weeks in the water column until settling on a substrate such as rocks or algae, undergoing metamorphosis into the adult form and creating a new colony.
Size: tiny
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 0.1 - 1.0 mm, cebimar-usp, Differential interference contrast, larva, planktonic, planktotrophic
Bryozoan coronate larva
Size: tiny
Place: Ponta do Jarobá, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 0.1 - 1.0 mm, cebimar-usp, Differential interference contrast, larva, lecithotrophic, planktonic
Chaetognath
Size: visible
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 1.0 - 10 mm, adult, cebimar-usp, dark field, planktonic
Tintinnid with hyaline lorica
Size: micro
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: <0.1 mm, cebimar-usp, Differential interference contrast, planktonic, unicellular
Tintinnid with hyaline lorica
Size: micro
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: <0.1 mm, cebimar-usp, Differential interference contrast, planktonic, unicellular
Tintinnid with hyaline lorica
Variation on lorica shape.
Size: micro
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: <0.1 mm, cebimar-usp, mev, planktonic, unicellular
Tintinnid with hyaline lorica
Size: micro
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: <0.1 mm, cebimar-usp, Differential interference contrast, planktonic, unicellular
Heteropod - marine free-swimming gastropod
Size: tiny
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 0.1 - 1.0 mm, adult, cebimar-usp, Differential interference contrast, planktonic
Pteropod mollusk
Size: tiny
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 0.1 - 1.0 mm, adult, cebimar-usp, dark field, planktonic
Comb jelly or ctenophore
Size: large
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 10 - 100 mm, adult, cebimar-usp, macrophotography, planktonic
Comb jelly or ctenophore
Adult specimen.
Size: large
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 10 - 100 mm, adult, cebimar-usp, macrophotography, planktonic
Comb jelly or ctenophore
Cydippid larva.
Size: visible
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 1.0 - 10 mm, cebimar-usp, larva, macrophotography, planktonic
Megalopa larva
Size: tiny
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 0.1 - 1.0 mm, cebimar-usp, dark field, larva, planktonic, planktotrophic
Pluteus larva of a sea biscuit
Size: tiny
Place: São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 0.1 - 1.0 mm, confocal, larva, planktonic, planktotrophic
Pluteus larva of a sea biscuit
Larva with six arms.
Size: tiny
Place: CEBIMar, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 0.1 - 1.0 mm, dark field, larva, planktonic, planktotrophic
Tintinnid with agglutinated lorica
Size: micro
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: <0.1 mm, cebimar-usp, mev, planktonic, unicellular
Tintinnid with agglutinated lorica
Size: micro
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: <0.1 mm, cebimar-usp, mev, planktonic, unicellular
Peritrichian ciliate
Size: tiny
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 0.1 - 1.0 mm, bright field, cebimar-usp, planktonic, unicellular
Dinoflagelate
Size: micro
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: <0.1 mm, bright field, cebimar-usp, planktonic, unicellular
Dinoflagelate
Size: micro
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: <0.1 mm, bright field, cebimar-usp, planktonic, unicellular
Dinoflagelate
Size: micro
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: <0.1 mm, bright field, cebimar-usp, planktonic, unicellular
Ciliate
Size: micro
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: <0.1 mm, bright field, cebimar-usp, planktonic, unicellular
Hydromedusa
Size: visible
Place: Shirahama, Japan
Tags: 1.0 - 10 mm, cnidarian tree of life project, jellyfish, macrophotography, planktonic, seto marine biological laboratory
Hydromedusa
Size: large
Place: Shirahama, Japan
Tags: 10 - 100 mm, cnidarian tree of life project, dark field, jellyfish, planktonic, seto marine biological laboratory

Pelagosphaera larva
Denominadas pelagosferas, as larvas de muitas espécies de sipuncúlidos são transparentes e nadam livres na água por meses antes de se transformarem no adulto, que tem aspecto vermiforme e vive enterrado na areia ou lodo.
Size: tiny
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 0.1 - 1.0 mm, cebimar-usp, dark field, larva, planktonic, planktotrophic
Polychaete epitoke with egg mass
Size: tiny
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 0.1 - 1.0 mm, adult, cebimar-usp, dark field, planktonic
Pilidium larva
Size: tiny
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 0.1 - 1.0 mm, cebimar-usp, Differential interference contrast, larva, planktonic, planktotrophic

Actinotroch larva
Most phoronids have indirect development, with the formation of a planktotrophic larva called actinotroch. Actinotroch larvae spend weeks in the water column before settling in the habitat of the adult, which includes both consolidated and unconsolidated substrates, depending on the species.
Size: tiny
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 0.1 - 1.0 mm, cebimar-usp, Differential interference contrast, larva, planktonic, planktotrophic
Larva
Size: tiny
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 0.1 - 1.0 mm, cebimar-usp, dark field, larva, planktonic, planktotrophic
Tornaria larva
Size: tiny
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 0.1 - 1.0 mm, cebimar-usp, Differential interference contrast, larva, planktonic, planktotrophic
Dinoflagelate
Size: micro
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: <0.1 mm, cebimar-usp, Differential interference contrast, phytoplankton, planktonic, unicellular
Dinoflagelate
Size: micro
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: <0.1 mm, cebimar-usp, Differential interference contrast, phytoplankton, planktonic, unicellular
Crustacean larva
Size: tiny
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 0.1 - 1.0 mm, cebimar-usp, dark field, larva, planktonic, planktotrophic
Spionid polychaete
6-chaetiger pelagic larva.
Size: visible
Place: Praia do Sino, Ilhabela, SP, Brazil
Tags: 1.0 - 10 mm, cebimar-usp, Differential interference contrast, planktonic, planktotrophic
Mitraria larva
Size: tiny
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 0.1 - 1.0 mm, cebimar-usp, Differential interference contrast, larva, planktonic, planktotrophic
Planctonic protozoan
Size: tiny
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 0.1 - 1.0 mm, cebimar-usp, Differential interference contrast, planktonic, unicellular
Hydromedusa
Newly released medusa.
Size: tiny
Place: CEBIMar, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 0.1 - 1.0 mm, cebimar-usp, Differential interference contrast, jellyfish, planktonic
Fish larva
Size: tiny
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 0.1 - 1.0 mm, cebimar-usp, Differential interference contrast, larva, planktonic
Veliger larva
Size: tiny
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 0.1 - 1.0 mm, cebimar-usp, Differential interference contrast, larva, planktonic, planktotrophic
Veliger larva
Size: tiny
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 0.1 - 1.0 mm, cebimar-usp, dark field, larva, planktonic, planktotrophic

Pelagosphaera larva
Denominadas pelagosferas, as larvas de muitas espécies de sipuncúlidos são transparentes e nadam livres na água por meses antes de se transformarem no adulto, que tem aspecto vermiforme e vive enterrado na areia ou lodo.
Size: tiny
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 0.1 - 1.0 mm, cebimar-usp, dark field, larva, planktonic, planktotrophic
Larva
Size: tiny
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 0.1 - 1.0 mm, cebimar-usp, dark field, larva, planktonic, planktotrophic
Larva
Size: tiny
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: 0.1 - 1.0 mm, cebimar-usp, dark field, larva, planktonic, planktotrophic
Larva
Size: none
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: cebimar-usp, dark field, larva, planktonic, planktotrophic
Scyphozoan
Size: huge
Place: Canal de São Sebastião, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
Tags: >100 mm, adult, cebimar-usp, jellyfish, planktonic
Although generally small in size, planktonic beings are giants in stature. Basis of marine food chains, the plankton (Greek planktos, drifting) comprises a great diversity of uni- and multicellular organisms that live dispersed in water. This community is largely less than 0.01 mm to a few centimeters, but there are notable exceptions such as jellyfish and the Portuguese man-of-war, which tentacles can reach meters in length. Many swim well, but not enough to overcome the force of water. Therefore, they roam freely, being transported by marine currents.
In addition to being small, planktonic organisms are also transparent or translucent, and easily overlooked ― examining them requires the use of microscopes and special collecting devices, as several kinds of plankton nets. However, they are very abundant and reproduce with incredible speed. One liter of seawater can contain tens of thousands of these small organisms. Many of them are primary producers, i.e., perform photosynthesis, and are called phytoplankton. The phytoplankton, which includes several groups of "microalgae" that live only in the well-lit upper layer of oceans water, produces much of the atmospheric oxygen, and serve as food for a portion of the plankton unable to get energy directly from sunlight and that depends on it for survival, the zooplankton.
Besides feeding on phytoplankton, zooplankton species can consume bacteria and particulate organic matter. And, in turn, they serve as food for larger organisms, including other species of zooplankton, fish and even whales.
Many organisms spend all their life cycle in the plankton, such as both unicellular and invertebrate species: copepods, mollusks, crustaceans, polychaetes, etc. But the plankton community is also composed by the larvae of invertebrates and some fish whose adults inhabit the seabed or the water column (see the tour Marine larvae).
The plankters live in a physically different world than ours. In their environment, viscous forces prevail over their microscopic bodies, which have "difficulty" moving. To better understand this phenomenon, imagine yourself in a pool of molasses, in which it is only possible to swim or move any part of your body in slow motion. It is in this kind of environment that planktonic organisms obtain food and reproduce for millions of years.
Fact sheet
- Number of images: 79
- Creation date: Nov. 3, 2011, 11:28 p.m.
- Last updated: Sept. 22, 2019, 2:54 p.m.
- Contained taxa: Acharadria crocea, Magelonidae, Oweniidae, Polynoidae, Proceraea, Tomopteris, Pseudopolydora rosebelae, Terebellidae, Sipunculidae, Acartia, Acartia lilljeborgii, Acartia (Odontacartia) lilljeborgii, Centropages velificatus, Calanopia americana, Corycaeus giesbrechti, Onychocorycaeus giesbrechti, Oncaea media, Copilia mirabilis, Thaumatopsyllidae, Macrosetella gracilis, Decapoda, Libinia ferreirae, Belzebub faxoni, Lucifer faxoni, Porcellanidae, Portunidae, Isopoda, Mysidopsis juniae, Stomatopoda, Ostracoda, Bryozoa, Watersipora subtorquata, Flaccisagitta enflata, Teleostei, Zoantharia, Zoanthidea, Carybdea brevipedalia, Carybdea mora, Corymorpha bigelowi, Leuckartiara, Ectopleura obypa, Clytia linearis, Hebella furax, Laodicea undulata, Eucheilota paradoxica, Liriope tetraphylla, Olindias sambaquiensis, Lychnorhiza lucerna, Mastigias papua, Phyllorhiza punctata, Chrysaora lactea, Beroe ovata, Bolinopsis vitrea, Mnemiopsis leidyi, Asteroidea, Lytechinus variegatus, Clypeaster subdepressus, Ophiuroidea, Hemichordata, Gastropoda, Atlanta peronii, Nemertea, Phoronida, Balechina coeruleus, Chaetopterus, Vorticella oceanica, Ascampbelliella aperta, Niemarshallia aperta, Tintinnopsis tocantinensis, Codonellopsis ostenfeldi, Favella ehrenbergii, Xystonellopsis heros, Dinophysis, Ceratium, Protoperidinium, Sticholonche zanclea, Ectoprocta, Hemicyclostina marina, Limacina lesueuri, Pristipomoides
- Contained tags: 0.1 - 1.0 mm, <0.1 mm, >100 mm, 10 - 100 mm, 1.0 - 10 mm, adult, artificial substrate, benthic, bright field, cebimar-usp, cnidarian tree of life project, confocal, dark field, demersal, Differential interference contrast, epibiotic, jellyfish, larva, lecithotrophic, macrophotography, mev, parasite, phytoplankton, planktonic, planktotrophic, rocky-shore, seto marine biological laboratory, symbiosis, unicellular