giant arborescent agglutinated foraminiferan Notodendrodes antarctikos

Shown here at Explorers Cove, New Harbor, Notodendrodes antarctikos stands up to 3.8 centimeters high [1,2]. N. antarctikos has a subcentral double-walled bulb, a dendritic root system, and a stem extending from the top of the bulb through 1-3 millimeters of sediment into the overlying seawater, where it then branches out [2,3]. N. antarctikos captures bottom sediments and suspended particles in cytoplasmic pseuopodia extending from the branches and stem. [1,2].

A foraminiferan is a unicellular organism, characterized by long, fine protrusions (pseudopodia) extending far away from their cytoplasmic body which is encased within a test or shell. There is always one nucleus but there may be a stage with multiple nuclei early in asexual reproduction.

Foraminifera are a class within the kingdom Protista or Protoctista (depending on author's taxonomic preference) which encompasses eukaryote organisms like algae, protozoa and flagellate fungi.

Foraminifera are almost entirely marine and are one of the most abundant marine invertebrates, playing a major role in the marine environment. Bottow-dwelling (benthic) foraminiferans occur in most marine environments, particularly in deepsea and outer continental shelf muds.

Foraminiferans as a group may eat live food (bacteria, unicellular algae, especially diatoms, other protozoa, and small crustaceans such as copepods which are snared in their pseudopodia) or dead material (dead organisms, organic-rich grains including fecal pellets, particulate organic detritus, and colloidal organic molecules). These broad food preferences make them ideally adapted to the benthic environment.

1: Sam Bowser, personal communication, 2000; 2: Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 69(3):205-224, 1980; 3: Marine Micropaleontology 26(1-4):75-88, 1995

Text ©Peter Brueggeman. Photograph ©Robert Sanders (Sam Bowser/S043 archives). Photograph may not be used in any form without the express written permission of Robert Sanders (Sam Bowser/S043 archives).