zooxanthella

[ zoh-uh-zan-thel-uh ]

noun,plural zo·o·xan·thel·lae

[zoh-uh-zan-thel-ee]. /ˌzoʊ ə zænˈθɛl i/.

any of various symbiotic yellow-green or yellow–brown algae in the cytoplasm of certain radiolarians and marine invertebrates.

Origin of zooxanthella

¹

First recorded in 1880–85; from New Latin; zoo- + xantho- + -ella

Words Nearby zooxanthella

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use zooxanthella in a sentence

Similar yellow zooxanthella or green zoochlorella are found as symbionta in the tissues of many animals.
The Wonders of Life | Ernst Haeckel

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