| Syringammina fragilissima | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Rhizaria |
| Phylum: | Foraminifera |
| Class: | Xenophyophorea |
| Order: | Psamminida |
| Family: | Syringamminidae |
| Genus: | Syringammina |
| Species: | S. fragilissima |
| Binomial name | |
| Syringammina fragilissima Brady, 1883 [1] |
|
Syringammina fragilissima is a xenophyophore found off the coast of Scotland, near Rockall.[2] It is the largest single-cell organism known, at up to 20 centimetres (8 in) across.[3] It was the first xenophyophore to be described,[4] after being discovered in 1882 by the oceanographer John Murray.
The cell grows into hundreds of branched and interconnecting tubes, which secretes an organic cement to collect particles of sediment and sand, forming a crusty structure called the test. As the test grows, the cell withdraws from parts of it, which are then colonised by other organisms, such as nematodes. It is unusual in that the cell has multiple nuclei.
It is not known how the organism feeds or reproduces.