What is "haptophyte"

n. (context botany English) A kind of unicellular marine phytoplankton, typically covered in tiny scales or plates composed of carbohydrates and calcium deposits.

The haptophytes, classified either as the Prymnesiophyta (named for Prymnesium) or Haptophyta, are a division of algae.

The names Haptophyceae or Prymnesiophyceae are sometimes used instead. This ending implies classification at the class rank rather than as a division. Although the phylogenetics of this group has become much better understood in recent years, there remains some dispute over which rank is most appropriate.