It's a Small World (with Nikon)

Whilst doing some email house-keeping today, I came across a link I sent to myself over a month ago for an In Focus article (Nikon Small World 2011) about Nikon's Small World Photomicrography Competition. This has some amazing images and is well worth a look.

The reason I think I emailed this link to my work account was probably this photo of a giant waterflea (Leptodora kindtii), which is one of my favourites (kudos, Wim van Egmond!):



I have to lecture on Eyes and Vision next semester, and therefore keep my own eyes out for good looking eye images. I am now wondering whether this particular specimen was the inspiration for London 2012
Olympic mascots, Wenlock and Mandeville.

For those interested in such things, Leptodora kindtii looks something like this and actually eats (among other things) the juveniles of the more familiar water flea, Daphnia:



(Picture from http://zoology.fns.uniba.sk/poznavacka/crustacea.htm)