Mesodinium rubrum Boom-and-bust Cycles

What makes Mesodinium rubrum so special is that, a little like a hybrid car, they can shift energy sources. They are natural predators, obtaining nutrients by consuming plantlike organisms such as phytoplankton and algae that produce their own food via photosynthesis. But they can also go “solar-powered”—they temporarily steal their prey’s cellular machinery and start to make their own food. (Illustration by Eric S. Taylor, © Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)