Can Diatoms Move

Diatoms that have a special structure, called a raphe, are able to move over surfaces. These diatoms can move over fine grains of sand, or within the mud of a tidal zone, or even on other diatoms. … The more developed the raphe, the faster the diatoms can move.

Are diatoms motile?

They are non-motile, or capable of only limited movement along a substrate by secretion of mucilaginous material along a slit-like groove or channel called a raphe.

Are diatoms extinct?

Over millions of years, diatom shells have sunk to the seabed, forming thick layers of silica and fossil fuels. 65 million years ago, diatoms survived the mass extinction of dinosaurs. They adapted to polar regions, where they still proliferate. Pennate diatoms appeared later and colonized new ecological niches.