zooxanthellae

Examples of zooxanthellae in the following topics:

• Sea Coral and Sea Anemone Zooxanthellae

  • Zooxanthellae refers to a variety of species that form symbiotic relationships with other marine organisms, particularly coral.
  • Symbiodinium are colloquially called "zooxanthellae" (or "zoox"), and animals symbiotic with algae in this genus are said to be "zooxanthellate".
  • The successful culturing of swimming gymnodinioid cells from coral led to the discovery that "zooxanthellae" were actually dinoflagellates.

• Class Anthozoa

  • These hermatypic corals rely on a symbiotic relationship with zooxanthellae.
  • The coral gains photosynthetic capability, while the zooxanthellae benefit by using nitrogenous waste and carbon dioxide produced by the cnidarian host.

• Protists as Primary Producers, Food Sources, and Symbionts

  • For instance, photosynthetic dinoflagellates called zooxanthellae use sunlight to fix inorganic carbon.

• Marine Habitats

  • Coral reefs also support a huge community of life, including the corals themselves, their symbiotic zooxanthellae, tropical fish, and many other organisms.

• Marine Biomes

  • When bleaching occurs, the reefs lose much of their characteristic color as the algae and the coral animals die if loss of the symbiotic zooxanthellae is prolonged.

• The Role of Species within Communities

  • Corals themselves are not photosynthetic, but harbor symbionts within their body tissues (dinoflagellates called zooxanthellae) that perform photosynthesis; this is another example of a mutualism.