Brandt coined the genus Zooxanthellae (Gk. Zoo animal + Xanth
yellow + ella diminutive = “yellow animal cells”) to refer to these algae. The term zooxanthellae
properly applies to a paraphyletic group consisting of all golden-colored endosymbiotic macroalgae, but is now
commonly (but incorrectly) used to refer exclusively to symbiotic dinoflagellates (and in particular the most
common marine algal symbionts in the genus Symbiodinium). Because this term lacks useful taxonomic meaning, its
use should generally be discouraged;
p.178; in ....
Baker A.C., 2004; Symbiont Diversity on Coral Reefs and its Relationship to Bleaching Resistance and
Resilience; in Rosenberg & Loya (ed.); Coral Health and Disease;
Springer Verlag, Heidelberg - FRG;
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