Euglena

Euglenas are single-celled flagellate Eukaryotes and are found in fresh and salt waters. They have two flagella placed in a small reservoir at the front of the cell. One flagellum is very short and stays inside the cell, while the other flagellum is long and is in some species used for swimming. The majority of species have photosynthesizing chloroplasts within their body, which enable them to use sunlight like plants do. Yet, they can also feed heterotrophically, like animals. The bright red spot is actually not photosensitive. It´s more a filter of sunlight that falls on a light-detecting structure at the base of the flagellum called a paraflagellar body. Euglena cells are surrounded by a pellicle, which is a protein layer supported by microtubules that are arranged in spiraling strips around the body. Euglenas reproduce asexually through binary fission.