 The genus is marked by exosymbiotic bacteria gardens under its lists, the inter-organismal dynamics of which are a current field of research.As they reside only in warm water, the genus has been used as a proxy for climate change and has potential to be an indicator species for environmental change if found in novel environments.“…"Ornithocercus", [so] strange, even the most sober researcher will have [to give] some admiration … "Ornithocercus" "magnificus", one of the most wonderful and strangest animal forms that ever happened to me” – Friedich Stein 1883 The genus "Ornithocercus" was first described in 1883 by German entomologist and zoologist Samuel Friedrich Nathaniel Ritter von Stein.