spirula

Thân thiện

A spirula drifts in the deep ocean with its shell glowing softly.

Definition

Noun: 1. A small deep-sea cephalopod: A marine mollusk of the genus Spirula, which is a small, tropical, deep-water squid-like animal. It is notable for its internal, many-chambered, coiled shell that is buoyant and often washes ashore.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The spirula is a fascinating cephalopod that lives in the ocean's twilight zone.
  • The coiled, chambered shell of the spirula is a common find on some tropical beaches.
  • Unlike most squids, the spirula has a buoyant internal shell.

Advanced Usage

• Scientific context: The term is used almost exclusively in zoological and marine biological contexts to refer to the specific organism , which is the only extant species in its genus and family.
  • The study focused on the unique buoyancy mechanism of the spirula.

Variants and Related Words

• Spirula shell (noun phrase): The distinct, white, chambered, flat-spiraled internal shell of the spirula, also known as a "ram's horn shell."
  • She collected a beautiful spirula shell on the beach.

Synonyms

• Ram's horn squid: A common name for the spirula, derived from the shape of its internal shell.
• Little post horn squid: Another common name.

Related Terms (Scientific Classification)

• Cephalopod: The larger class of mollusks that includes squids, octopuses, cuttlefish, and the spirula.
• Decapod: The order of cephalopods having ten arms, which includes the spirula, squids, and cuttlefish.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a small tropical cephalopod of the genus Spirula having prominent eyes and short arms and a many-chambered shell coiled in a flat spiral

Từ đồng nghĩa

• spirula peronii