Abstract
A condenser has been designed to fulfil the need for high quality dark-field illumination of transparent zooplankton animals. The condenser, which covers fields of up to 30 mm, is designed for use on a stereomicroscope. The condenser uses only reflectors so that it can be constructed without the use of optical glass. A system for permanently fixing the microscope, condenser, light source, cooling system and optional rotating tray is presented. Coupled with an electronic flash, the condenser is an important tool in investigating structural and functional features of living animals. Examples of its use in describing some aspects of the biology of living specimens of the salp Thalia democratica are given.
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Communicated by G.F. Humphrey, Cronulla
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Heron, A.C. A dark-field condenser for viewing transparent plankton animals under a low-power stereomicroscope. Marine Biol. 2, 321–324 (1969). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00355711
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00355711