kleptoplastidy Definition

The phenomenon in which an organism acquires and retains plastids (specialized plant cells) from a photosynthetic species, typically through symbiosis, which may provide the acquirer with photosynthetic capabilities. This is particularly observed in certain freshwater and marine animals such as the sea slug Elysia chlorotica, where the acquired plastids from algal cells remain functional even after the host has eaten and digested the algal cells.