The Miliolida are an order of

foraminifera Foraminifera (; Latin for "hole bearers"; informally called "forams") are single-celled organisms, members of a phylum or class of amoeboid protists characterized by streaming granular ectoplasm for catching food and other uses; and commonly ...

with

calcareous Calcareous () is an adjective meaning "mostly or partly composed of calcium carbonate", in other words, containing lime or being chalky. The term is used in a wide variety of scientific disciplines. In zoology ''Calcareous'' is used as an ad ...

, porcelacous tests that are imperforate and commonly have a pseudochitinous lining. Tests are composed of randomly oriented calcite needles that have a high proportion of

magnesium Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg and atomic number 12. It is a shiny gray metal having a low density, low melting point and high chemical reactivity. Like the other alkaline earth metals (group 2 of the periodic ta ...

along with organic material. Tests lack pores and generally have multiple chambers. Miliolids, which range from the Carboniferous to recent, are benthic Foraminifera abundant in shallow waters such as in

estuaries An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environmen ...

and along coastlines, though they also include deepwater oceanic forms. The order Miliolida, sometimes referred to as a suborder, the Miliolina, is divided on the basis of differences in test morphology into five recognized superfamilies.

References

External links

* Tubothalamea Foraminifera orders Carboniferous first appearances {{foram-stub