Place: Maharashtra Nature Park, Mumbai, India.

Description: I went on a field visit as a part of a group to observe various water ecosystems. I collected a water sample from an artificial water body made for the purpose of rain water harvesting. And this is what I saw in a single drop- something, or rather someone floating! Further, literature helped in the identification of this little creature.

Observations:

Empire: Eukaryota

Kingdom: Plantae

Subkingdom: Viridaeplantae

Infrakingdom: Streptophyta infrakingdom

Phylum: Charophyta

Class: Conjugatophyceae (Zygnematophyceae)

Order: Desmidiales

Family: Desmidiaceae  Genus: Cosmarium 0