Largest organisms photosynthetic unicellular and multicellular protists that are related to land plants. The thallus of the unicellular mermaid's wineglass, "Acetabularia", can grow to several inches (perhaps 0.1 to 0.2 m) in length. The fronds of the similarly unicellular, and invasive "Caulerpa taxifolia" can grow up to a foot (0.3 m) long. A member of the order Cetacea, the blue whale ("Balaenoptera musculus"), is thought to be the largest animal ever to have lived. The maximum recorded weight was 190 metric tonnes for a specimen measuring , whereas longer ones, up to , have been recorded but not weighed. The African bush
The Animal Years of America], but [instead] it all came out sounding like a love song." Ritter has said that the life and work of Mark Twain were a great influence on "The Animal Years", in particular Twain's books "Life on the Mississippi" and "Letters from the Earth". When analyzed alongside Twain's biography, lyrics from multiple songs on "The Animal Years" seem to make textual reference to the life and times of Mark Twain. The most intriguing example may be the enigmatic song "Monster Ballads," which contains references to both the 19th-century decline of the Mississippi River steamboat at the hands of the