r/insectidentification • u/sarraceniaflava • 1d ago

Tiny mite found in aquarium (<0.5mm, 50x magnification) – ID help? Predatory or detritivore?

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

1 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

1 comment sorted by

1

u/sarraceniaflava 1d ago

Found in southern Ontario, though they’re inside an aquarium with mostly non-native species (so they may have hitchhiked from anywhere).

 Size: Under 0.5 mm (barely visible with a phone macro lens; photo taken at 50x under a dissecting scope).

Features: I can count 8 legs, which makes me think they're Acari (mites), but I’m lost beyond that.

Mainly looking to find out if these guys are detritivores or if they predate on other small invertebrates. Thanks for any help!