A large 20-cm wide Xenophyophore

A large 20-cm wide Xenophyophore. Xenophyophores are single cell animals called protists. As benthic particulate feeders, xenophyophores normally sift through the sediments on the sea floor. and excrete a slimy substance; in locations with a dense population of xenophyophores, such as the bottom of trenches, their density may be as high as 2000 per 100 square meters.

Photo Category: Ocean exploration
Photo Location: Atlantic Ocean, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Photo Date: 2005 July