cell bearing a flagellum which is surrounded by a collar of microvilli. They are typically arranged in spherical chambers (see choanocyte chambers). In Hexactinellida the choanocytes form a syncytium and are possibly non-homologous. For that reason they are termed collar bodies; several collar bodies sharing a nucleus are united into a choanoblast.

Alternative forms for choanocyte : choanoblast, choanoblasts, choanocytes, collar bodies, collar body.