Cthulhu macrofasciculumque
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| Cthulhu macrofasciculumque | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukarya |
| (unranked): | Excavata |
| Phylum: | Metamonada |
| Class: | Parabasalia |
| Genus: | Cthulhu |
| Species: | C. macrofasciculumque |
| Binomial name | |
| Cthulhu macrofasciculumque James and Keeling, 2012 | |
Cthulhu macrofasciculumque is a type of protist. It lives in the guts of termites.[1]
Habitat
It lives in the hindgut of Reticulitermes virginicus (the dark southeastern subterranean termite) and helps them to digest wood.[2]
Appearance
The microbe's length is about a fifth of the width of a human hair, in the range of 10 to 20 µm, and it has around 20 flagella. Cthylla is slightly smaller, with only five flagella.[3]
Naming
The octopus-like movements and appearance of both protists reminded James of Cthulhu, Lovecraft's fictional cosmic entity.
See also
References
- ↑ James, Erick R.; Okamoto, Noriko; Burki, Fabien; Scheffrahn, Rudolf H.; Keeling, Patrick J.; Badger, Jonathan H. "Cthulhu Macrofasciculumque n. g., n. sp. and Cthylla Microfasciculumque n. g., n. sp., a Newly Identified Lineage of Parabasalian Termite Symbionts". PLoS ONE 8 (3): e58509. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0058509. PMC 3601090. PMID 23526991.
- ↑ Netburn, Deborah (5 April 2013). "A teeny tiny Cthulhu monster, found in a termite's gut". L. A. Times. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
- ↑ O'Carroll, Eoin (5 April 2013). "Cthulhu fhtagn! Indescribably terrifying microbes named for Lovecraft monsters.". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
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