zooxanthella

[ zoh-uh-zan-thel-uh ]

noun,plural zo·o·xan·thel·lae [zoh-uh-zan-thel-ee]. /ˌzoʊ ə zænˈθɛl i/.
  1. 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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024