A colonial tuscarorid phaeodarean, a relative of radiolarians and foraminiferans, feeding on a filament of marine snow. The individual cells of the colony each secrete a white silica shell, or test, with several fine radiating spines, and together they create the pale sphere composed of fine silica mesh. Seen at a depth of 701 meters (2,300 feet).
Colonial Tuscarorid Phaeodarean
Image courtesy of NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, Gulf of Mexico 2017.
A colonial tuscarorid phaeodarean, a relative of radiolarians and foraminiferans, feeding on a filament of marine snow. The individual cells of the colony each secrete a white silica shell, or test, with several fine radiating spines, and together they create the pale sphere composed of fine silica mesh. Seen at a depth of 701 meters (2,300 feet). Download larger version (jpg, 547 KB).
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