''Solenicola setigera'' is a species of marine

stramenopile The stramenopiles, also called heterokonts, are protists distinguished by the presence of stiff tripartite external hairs. In most species, the hairs are attached to flagella, in some they are attached to other areas of the cellular surface, an ...

, and the only species classified within the genus ''Solenicola''. The species ranges between 4–7 μm in diameter and has a complex feeding strategy. Its ecological role within the marine planktonic food chain is generally as a grazer, feeding on

photoautotrophic Photoautotrophs are organisms that can utilize light energy from sunlight, and elements (such as carbon) from inorganic compounds, to produce organic materials needed to sustain their own metabolism (i.e. autotrophy). Such biological activities ...

diatom A diatom (Neo-Latin ''diatoma'') is any member of a large group comprising several Genus, genera of algae, specifically microalgae, found in the oceans, waterways and soils of the world. Living diatoms make up a significant portion of Earth's B ...

s. It is a

parasite Parasitism is a Symbiosis, close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives (at least some of the time) on or inside another organism, the Host (biology), host, causing it some harm, and is Adaptation, adapted str ...

of the species ''

Leptocylindrus mediterraneus ''Leptocylindrus'' is a genus of diatoms belonging to the family Leptocylindraceae. They are long, cylindrical diatoms that are made up of multiple cells in a line (described as a chain). These cells have chloroplast to allow it to produce ener ...

''. ''S. setigera'' will grow on the

frustule A frustule is the hard and porous cell wall or external layer of diatoms. The frustule is composed almost purely of silica, made from silicic acid, and is coated with a layer of organic substance, which was referred to in the early literature on ...

, the protective shell made of silica, of ''L. mediterraneus'' alongside the

cyanobacteria Cyanobacteria ( ) are a group of autotrophic gram-negative bacteria that can obtain biological energy via oxygenic photosynthesis. The name "cyanobacteria" () refers to their bluish green (cyan) color, which forms the basis of cyanobacteri ...

Synechococcus ''Synechococcus'' (from the Greek ''synechos'', in succession, and the Greek ''kokkos'', granule) is a unicellular cyanobacterium that is very widespread in the marine environment. Its size varies from 0.8 to 1.5 μm. The photosynthetic ...

'', which it may also eat. ''S. setigera'' combines herbivorous grazing, parasitism, and predation into its survival strategy. In 2013, the genus was placed in the family Solenicolidae.

References

Stramenopile genera {{Heterokont-stub