Radiolarian. Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the shell or test of a radiolarian. Radiolaria are single-celled protozoans that are found in marin

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Radiolarian. Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the shell or test of a radiolarian. Radiolaria are single-celled protozoans that are found in marine plankton. This radiolarian has a silicate skeleton with pores through which pseudopodia (false feet, not seen) of protoplasm project. As the animal floats in ocean currents the pseudopodia trap food particles on which the radiolarian feeds. As zooplankton in the ocean their skeletal remains form siliceous ooze on the seabed. They evolve rapidly into new species, and are an important diagnostic fossil. Magnification: x150 when printed at 10 centimetres across.

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Size: 3035px × 2884px
Photo credit: © DAVID MCCARTHY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: -, 1, animal, biological, biology, coloured, cut, cut-, cut-outs, cutout, cutouts, external, false-coloured, fauna, fossil, marine, nature, outs, palaeontology, paleontology, protozoa, protozoan, radiolaria, radiolarian, sem, shell, silicate, siliceous, single, single-celled, skeleton, test, wildlife, zoological, zoology, zooplankton