Endo-Colonial Symbiosis in the Abyssal Crustacean Phronima diaphanus

Recent explorations in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone have led to the discovery of Phronima diaphanus, a species of hyperiid amphipod with an entirely unique evolutionary strategy. The creature’s most notable feature is a completely transparent, silica-based carapace, which offers an unobstructed view of its internal systems. This has earned the organism the nickname “The Glass House.” While fascinating, this literal transparency reveals a deeper biological complexity.

P. diaphanus is not a single organism, but a mobile ecosystem. Its body hosts a co-evolved colony of smaller, specialized organisms that manage specific life functions, from digestion to neural processing. This “endo-colonial” model challenges traditional definitions of individuality. The biological structure is truly corporate—a body of distinct entities working as one. This astonishing biological transparency allows researchers to observe, for the first time, a living, mobile colony functioning in perfect symbiosis, ushering in a new era of understanding of multi-organismal life forms.