[3] C. amblystomatis cells invade and grow inside salamander egg capsules.

Once inside, it metabolizes the carbon dioxide produced by the embryo and provides it with oxygen and sugar as a result of photosynthesis.

[4] The relationship between some salamanders and some species of green algae, including C. amblystomatis, is the only known example of an intracellular endosymbiont in vertebrates.

[5][6] This symbiosis between C. amblystomatis and the salamander may exist beyond the oocyte and early embryonic stage.

Chlorophyll autofluorescence observation and ribosomal DNA analysis suggest that this algal species has invaded embryonic salamander tissues and cells during development and may even be transmitted to the next generation.