Acantharia [1] ( lat. Acantharia ) - heterotrophic protists with axopodia, representatives of marine plankton .
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Acantharea Haeckel , 1881 |
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Large (up to a millimeter or more) cells are radially symmetric, with a brightly colored central zone of the cytoplasm and with light-refracting needles. All representatives have an intracellular skeleton of strontium sulfate. The skeleton includes 20 elements, the relative position of which is strictly ordered. An extracellular cover is stretched at the distal ends of the skeletal spicules.
Inhabitants of the pelagic ocean, the inhabitants of the predominantly tropical zone, single species penetrate into high latitudes. About 150 species differ [1] .
They feed on microplankton. Most species have intracellular symbiotic microalgae.
When propagating, they form flagellate cells ( zoospores or gametes ).
