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Friday - July 25, 2008
From: ST. Joseph, MO
Region: Midwest
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: What is gelatinous plant in a Missouri lake
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
Q what is gel like plant floating in lake looks like a bag filled with green living plant and is see thru and has red. when touched feels like piece of fat but seems to be living in water. MissouriANSWER:
Well, we have several possibilities here—it could be a plant (algae) or it could be insects eggs, fish eggs, amphibian (frog, toad, salamander) eggs, bryozoans, freshwater jellyfish, or freshwater sponges. Here is a site from the University of Maine with photos and information about all of these. Here are, also, an Algae Photo Library, a Fish Eggs Stock Photos and Images site, an Amphibian Egg Identification Page, Bryozoans site, Freshwater Jellyfish page, and Freshwater Sponges. Mr. Smarty Plants hopes you will be able to find your "critter" in one of these.
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