- They have absorbent shells that are made up of organic material and hard calcium carbonate. The shells are commonly divided into “chambers” which are added during its growth. It extends, through pores in the shell, the thin pseudopodia.
- Some have a symbiotic relationship with algae, because they "farm" inside of their shells.
- They are abundant and widely distributed in all types of marine environments, but are also present in freshwater and terrestrial habitats.
- They usually reproduce asexually, but sometimes they sexually reproduce.
- They are heterotrophs.
- They are free-living.
- They are animal-like.
- They are unicellular.
- They are heterotrophic because they eat algae and some small sea creature eggs.
- They have no negative impact on humans.
- They contain one or many nuclei.
- They produce a shell (test) which can have either one or multiple compartments
Examples
Amphistegina gibbosa
- They inhabit coral reefs and carbonate shelves.
http://www.marine.usf.edu/reefslab/foramcd/foram_images/amphisteginaspiral.jpg
Globorotalia menardii
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