Using the microscope, we saw a creature eating some leaves of lettuce. It was transparent and nearly 0.1-0.5 mm long. It was a rotifer. It is a microscopic aquatic animal which can be found in freshwater environments like lake bottoms, or flowing water environments such as rivers or streams. Rotifers have a long body made of three sections: a head, a body, and a foot. The foot usually has two toes. The head of a rotifer has a large, mouth, surrounded by cilia. The rotifer's cilia are used to take food and to move in the water. Rotifers are not favored for fossilization because of their very small size. They are mostly used in aquaculture and aquariums because of their very high reproductive rates. Back to table of contents