#carpenters rule
Bacillaria paxillifer, AKA the carpenter’s rule diatom.
This diatom is unique in that it can slide and retract relatively quickly using a mucilage layer. They’re fun to watch!
Exactly why they do this is so far unknown. My hypothesis is that they do this to dislodge clumps of sediment or organic detritus that have fallen on top of them. Since diatoms are photosynthetic, it would make sense to try and get rid of of stuff that blocks out the light.
HOW???
