Costasiella kuroshimae are capable of a physiological process called kleptoplasty, in which they retain the chloroplasts from the algae they feed on. Absorbing the chloroplasts from algae then enables them to indirectly perform photosynthesis.[6]
The really interesting thing about costasiella kuroshimae is that its digestive system branches and goes up into all of those ‘leaves’, which is how the algae makes its way there to have its chloroplasts extracted.
I mean honestly? If you’re not even keeping full cells from the prey, I think we can give it to them. Lil guy, you can photosynthesize. No need to bother them with the asterisks.
And I’m pretty sure there are also jellyfish that live in symbyosis with algae that they carry along with them which photosynthesize, creating sugars for the jellyfish.
Eh, that’s a few dozen steps removed. By that standard, every herbivore “uses” photosynthesis.
These guys (coral & lichen too) use photosynthesis much more directly, completely encapsulating the algea and supporting it internally. It’s much closer to mitochondria.
Kinda but not quite:
Source: Costasiella kuroshimae
The really interesting thing about costasiella kuroshimae is that its digestive system branches and goes up into all of those ‘leaves’, which is how the algae makes its way there to have its chloroplasts extracted.
So vampire photosynthesis.
That’s metal af.
I mean honestly? If you’re not even keeping full cells from the prey, I think we can give it to them. Lil guy, you can photosynthesize. No need to bother them with the asterisks.
And I’m pretty sure there are also jellyfish that live in symbyosis with algae that they carry along with them which photosynthesize, creating sugars for the jellyfish.
homo sapiens is known to use photosynthesis through symbiotic relationships with various grasses to create sugars, lipids, and proteins for itself
Eh, that’s a few dozen steps removed. By that standard, every herbivore “uses” photosynthesis.
These guys (coral & lichen too) use photosynthesis much more directly, completely encapsulating the algea and supporting it internally. It’s much closer to mitochondria.
True haha, thats a good distinction. I’m just joking here.
Kind of interesting that chloroplasts in plants seem to be a sort of symbiosis as well, like mitochondria, considering the cell walls around them.
Reminds me of Lichen! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lichen
I like how it’s appropriate to call it “-plasty” twice (first in the referring to chloroplasts sense, and then again in the plastic surgery sense).