zooxanthella
noun
any of various symbiotic yellow-green or yellow–brown algae in the cytoplasm of certain radiolarians and marine invertebrates.
zooxanthellae
-
pluralof zooxanthella.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The nutrients they need to grow are provided by symbiotic zooxanthellae.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
They rely on a symbiotic relationship with zooxanthellae, single-cell algae that live inside the coral polyp’s tissue where they photosynthesize, passing sugar and other nutrients to their hosts.
From National Geographic ● Jan. 24, 2024
Warming oceans and out-of-control chemical use cause coral reefs to eject bacteria and tiny algae called zooxanthellae that live in their tissue and provide them with important nutrients.
From Scientific American ● Sep. 8, 2023
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
