zooxanthella

American  

[zoh-uh-zan-thel-uh] / ˌzoʊ ə zænˈθɛl ə /

noun

• zooxanthellae
  plural

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

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• zooxanthellae
  plural

Etymology

Origin of zooxanthella

First recorded in 1880–85; from New Latin; zoo- ( def. ) + xantho- ( def. ) + -ella ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

zooxanthella zooxanthellae

They host a microscopic symbiotic algae called zooxanthella that photosynthesizes just like plants, providing food to the coral.

From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2023

In addition to giving coral reefs their bright colors, zooxanthella also provide corals with oxygen, waste filtration, and up to 90 percent of their energy.

From New York Times ● Jan. 4, 2018

During bleaching events, overheated seawater causes corals to part ways with symbiotic plantlike organisms called zooxanthella that live inside of them.

From New York Times ● Jan. 4, 2018

Absent zooxanthella, corals not only take on a ghostly pallor, hence the term bleaching, but they are also more susceptible to death.

From New York Times ● Jan. 4, 2018

The nutrients they need to grow are provided by symbiotic zooxanthellae.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026

But when the water temperature rises, the zooxanthellae stop making sugar and produce harmful chemicals instead.

From National Geographic ● Jan. 24, 2024

If they don’t recover their zooxanthellae, they will ultimately die.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 9, 2023

When the water gets too hot, the tiny symbiotic algae that live in the corals’ tissues, zooxanthellae, turn excess energy from sunlight into dangerous toxins.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2023

The researchers have used genetic analysis to suggest that the thermal tolerance in the brain coral Platygyra daedalea and its zooxanthellae appear to be unique to the Persian Gulf.

From Scientific American ● Mar. 3, 2015