Discovered in the deep: the ‘mermaid’s wineglass’ made up of one giant cell

Acetabularia jalakanyakae, also known as the mermaid’s wineglass, is a species of algae found around the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Photograph: Courtesy of Felix Bast

Growing between the tides around the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, in the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, are clusters of what look like tiny, green mushrooms. In fact, this is a type of seaweed, or algae – each one made from a single, gigantic cell.

In 2021, scientists named them Acetabularia jalakanyakae, also known as the “mermaid’s wineglass”, because of its umbrella-shaped cap.