The name in Latin means "bearer of twins" and was suggested in the original article that declared the genus separate from Cryptomonas.

[1] While the genus Geminigera was originally described in 1991, its type- and only species, Geminigera cryophila, was discovered back in 1968 but was considered to be a member of the genus Cryptomonas collected beneath packed ice in the Weddell Sea of Antarctica and described by D.L.

[2] Like other cryptophytes, Geminigera is mixotrophic and feeds both on bacteria in the surrounding environment, and on the sugars produced during the photosynthesis process.

[2] The extra sugars are turned into starch granules and are used during times of low light such as in the winter.

[2] The cells possess a single plastid with thylakoids in stacks of 2 or more in a red to olive brown colour which is a unique feature to Geminigera.

[2] Two pyrenoids are present within the chromatophore and are attached by short stalks to opposite lobes of the plastid.

[2] These lipid bodies give Geminigera its irregular shape and have been suggested to play a role in the survival of the organism in the Antarctic environment, but further research on this topic must be done.