arrowworm

Thân thiện

A transparent arrowworm swims in the sunlit ocean water.

Definition

Noun: 1. A transparent marine worm of the phylum Chaetognatha: A small, slender, nearly transparent predatory worm that lives in plankton. It is characterized by horizontal fins and a row of movable, curved spines on each side of its head used for capturing prey.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Under the microscope, the arrowworm's transparent body and grasping spines were clearly visible.
  • Scientists study arrowworms as important predators in the marine planktonic food web.
  • The sample contained several species of arrowworm.

Advanced Usage

• Ecological Role: The term is used in marine biology to discuss these organisms as key planktonic predators.
  • Arrowworms are often cited as examples of raptorial feeders in zooplankton communities.

Variants and Related Words

• Chaetognath (noun): The formal scientific term for an arrowworm.
  • The phylum Chaetognatha includes all known species of arrowworms.

Synonyms

• Chaetognath (scientific synonym)
• Glass worm (descriptive, informal synonym referencing its transparency)

Học thuật

Noun

1. any worm of the Chaetognatha; transparent marine worm with horizontal lateral and caudal fins and a row of movable curved spines at each side of the mouth

Từ đồng nghĩa

• chaetognath