cryptomonad

cryptomonad

Any small organism with two flagella that is considered both a protozoan and an alga (see algae). Occurring in both fresh and salt water, cryptomonads contain pigments found only in red algae and blue-green algae (cyanobacteria). They sometimes live harmlessly within other organisms. Some species conduct photosynthesis. Others lack pigment-containing structures and eat organic matter, under certain conditions surviving on minerals alone.