This green algae is one of the largest single celled organisms know. Each 'umbrella' is one gaint cell with a single nucleus at the base. DIscovered in India, near Andaman islands, it was named Acetabularia jalakanyakae - Water Mermaid
Each ‘umbrella’ can be anywhere between 20 to 40mm. Remarkably large for a single cell.
Jalakanyaka in Sanskrit literally means mermaid and a goddess of oceans. The scientists say they were influenced by the fictional character Little Mermaid in the eponymous fairy tale by Danish writer Hans Christian Anderson.
The scientists spent more than 18 months sequencing the plant DNA and comparing its form with other plants in the lab.
