by Gregg Langlois
Corethron is a single-celled marine diatom, a group of photosynthetic algae considered to be the most ecologically-important organisms on the planet. Diatoms account for approximately 50% of the oxygen we breath and play a significant role in the capture and storage of carbon. Diatoms live in glass houses: their cell walls are made of silica.
Corethron is one of oddest diatoms known. If you look closely, you will see rings of long spines at both ends of the cell, while one end also has a ring of short spines radiating upward. While silica spines are common in many diatoms, Corethron is the only diatom that can move its’s spines! This is so weird that noted diatom expert F.E. Round commented he occasionally “doubted its affinity” with the diatoms.
Corethron is a frequent member of the phytoplankton community in California’s nearshore waters, occasionally occurring in large numbers along the San Mateo coast. (this is a darkfield photomicrograph, meaning only scattered light is captured by the camera).