comatulid

Thân thiện

A comatulid drifts gently through the clear blue water.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A free-swimming, stalkless crinoid (a marine animal related to starfish and sea urchins) characterized by having ten feathery arms. It is typically found living on muddy sea bottoms.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The diver observed a colorful comatulid clinging to the reef.
  • Comatulids are also commonly known as feather stars.

Advanced Usage

• In marine biology, the term "comatulid" is used to distinguish the unstalked, free-moving crinoids from their stalked, sessile relatives, which are often called "sea lilies."
  • The study focused on the locomotion and feeding behavior of the comatulid.

Variants and Related Words

• Feather star: This is the common name for a comatulid.
  • The aquarium had a tank dedicated to feather stars and other echinoderms.
• Crinoid: The broader class of marine animals to which comatulids belong.
  • Crinoids have existed for hundreds of millions of years.

Synonyms

• Feather star: The most common synonym.
• Stalkless crinoid: A descriptive synonym emphasizing the lack of a permanent stalk.

Related Terms

• Echinoderm: The phylum that includes comatulids, along with starfish, sea urchins, and sand dollars.
  • As an echinoderm, the comatulid has a five-part radial symmetry.

Học thuật

Noun

1. free-swimming stalkless crinoid with ten feathery arms; found on muddy sea bottoms

Từ đồng nghĩa

• feather star