Fresh Moss (Mousse) For Extracting Microfauna

Fresh Mousse for Extracting Microfauna

Mousse fraiche pour extraction de la microfaune. Sourced from controlled ecological sites to ensure a consistent volume-to-organism ratio, facilitating repeatable extraction yields for quantitative population studies in laboratory environments.

Moisture-Retentive Structural Integrity Features a high-porosity bryophyte matrix that maintains cellular hydration during transit, preserving the viability of sensitive micro-invertebrates until the initiation of thermal or hydrodynamic extraction protocols.

$2.71

Quick Answer: Fresh Mousse for Extracting Microfauna is fresh moss, mousse being the French word for moss, supplied as a living habitat for studying moss microfauna: tiny animals such as tardigrades, rotifers and nematodes that can be extracted and watched under a microscope. It is used in biology and ecology practicals on microscopic life.

Microscopic Animals Living in Moss

A cushion of moss is a miniature wetland. Between its leaves, thin films of water support a community of animals too small to see: tardigrades, the eight-legged water bears, usually well under a millimetre long; rotifers, with their crown of beating cilia; nematode worms; and protozoa. When the moss dries out, many of these animals survive by drying out with it. Tardigrades pull in their legs and shrivel into a dormant tun, then revive within hours of being wetted, a survival state called cryptobiosis.

Extraction is simple. A small piece of moss is soaked in a Petri dish of rainwater or dechlorinated water for a few hours or overnight, then squeezed out over the dish, and the water is searched under a stereo microscope. For nematodes, a Baermann funnel, in which the moss sits on a mesh in a water-filled funnel and the worms sink to the stem, gives cleaner samples. Animals are then moved with a fine pipette to a slide for the compound microscope.

Because this is living material, it should be used soon after arrival or kept damp and cool; the listing does not state the quantity, the moss species or how it is packed. For comparison with preserved animals, see the soil microfauna and mesofauna in microtubes.

Practical Work with Moss

Finding and observing tardigrades, rotifers and nematodes in a live sample
Demonstrating cryptobiosis by drying and re-wetting moss and its animals
Microscope skills: searching a dish, pipetting single animals and preparing wet mounts
Comparing the animal community of moss with that of leaf litter or soil

Keeping the Moss Alive

Open the pack on arrival and keep the moss in a loosely covered tray, damp but not waterlogged, in a cool spot out of direct sun.
Use rainwater, or tap water left to stand overnight so the chlorine disperses, since chlorine can harm the animals.
Return unused moss outdoors to a shady, damp place rather than throwing it away.

Specifications

What the item is	Fresh (living) moss for extracting microscopic animals
Animals typically found	Tardigrades, rotifers, nematodes, protozoa
Extraction methods	Soaking and squeezing; Baermann funnel
Viewing	Stereo microscope, then compound microscope
Quantity, species and packing	Confirm at enquiry

Why Choose LabEquip

Teachers who want students to see living microscopic animals, not just pictures, find moss a dependable source. The moss is listed in LabEquip’s biology lab products; send questions about supply and timing through the contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are tardigrades?

Tardigrades, or water bears, are tiny eight-legged animals, usually under 1 mm long, that live in films of water on mosses and lichens and in soil. They feed on plant cells, algae or other small animals and are known for surviving drying out in a dormant state.

How do I extract animals from the moss?

Soak a small piece of moss in a dish of rainwater or dechlorinated water for a few hours or overnight, squeeze it out over the dish and search the water under a stereo microscope at low power. Pick out animals with a fine pipette.

What magnification is needed?

Tardigrades and larger rotifers can be found at 10 to 40 times with a stereo microscope. To see details such as tardigrade claws or rotifer jaws, move them to a slide and use a compound microscope at 100 to 400 times.

What is cryptobiosis?

It is a state in which an organism’s metabolism slows almost to a stop. Tardigrades and many rotifers enter it when their moss dries out and become active again when water returns, which students can show by drying and re-wetting a sample.

Why is it called Fresh Mousse?

Mousse is the French word for moss, and the listing name is a direct translation. The product is living moss for extracting microfauna, not a food or a foam.

How long does the moss stay usable?

Moss survives for some time if kept damp, cool and in light shade, but the animals are easiest to find when it is fresh, so plan the practical for soon after it arrives.

Last Updated: September 2026