xanth-, xantho-, xan-
(Greek: the color yellow; blond)
xanthrochromic
A microscopic yellow-green alga that lives symbiotically within the cells of some marine invertebrates: Zooxanthellae are plantlike flagellate protozoans in the order Dinoflagellida, photosynthesizing symbiotes inside the cells of sponges, corals, and others.
These unicellular yellow zooxanthellae contain xanthophyll and live as symbionts in the tissues of higher organisms, such as sponges, coelenterates, worms, etc.
A monofamilial order of mostly intrafamilial symbiont flagellates of the class Dionphyceae: Zooxanthellales is the name given for the flagellates noted for excreting large amounts of photosynthate as glycerol and aiding in the calcification of corals.
