Image: TardigradeEggsInShedCuticle

Description:   The shed cuticle of a female Tardigrade or “water bear” containing eggs.  This was taken using the 10× objective and 15× eyepiece on my microscope.  The numbered scale is built into my 15× eyepiece, and when used with the 10× objective, the numbered ticks are 122 microns apart.   I learned something new today.  I saw this in my microscope, and wondered.  I saw several other live water bears, but this was dead and motionless.  Looking up the Wikipedia article on Tardigrade, I learned that the female lays her eggs inside her cuticle, just before she sheds it.  So obviously, that's what I was seeing here—the shed cuticle of a female water bear, with eggs that she left inside of it.
Title: TardigradeEggsInShedCuticle
Credit: Own work
Author: Bob Blaylock
Usage Terms: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0
License: CC BY-SA 4.0
License Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Attribution Required?: Yes