Radiolarians Radiolarians Radiolarians are microscopic, single-celled animals.
Radiolarians have elaborate skeletons made mostly of silica .
They extract the silica from the sea water they live in. They catch their food as they float in the ocean currents by sticking long, sticky, finger-like projections called pseudopodia through the many holes in their skeleton. After they die, their skeletons may sink to the ocean bottom. If a thick enough layer of skeletons accumulates, they may eventually harden to form chert, a very hard, often colorful, rock. Use the back button on your browser to return to previous page.