CYPHONAUTES Meaning and
Definition
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Cyphonautes is a term used in the field of marine biology to describe a specific larval stage found in some species of bryozoans. Bryozoans, also known as moss animals or sea mats, are colonial invertebrates that live in marine environments. They form intricate habitats where individual zooids, the tiny organisms that make up the colony, filter feed and reproduce.
Cyphonautes is a larval form specific to some bryozoans, particularly those belonging to the class Gymnolaemata. It is the larval stage that succeeds the initial embryo and precedes the settlement of the bryozoan colonies. The name "cyphonautes" is derived from the Greek words "kýphos," meaning "hollow," and "nautes," meaning "sailor," referring to the hollow sail-like structure on its back.
The cyphonautes larva possesses a distinct morphology. It is transparent and bilaterally symmetrical, with a ciliated band encircling the body. This band serves locomotion and also aids in filter feeding during the larval stage. Additionally, cyphonautes larvae have a well-developed digestive and nervous system.
After a period of pelagic life, during which the cyphonautes larva explores the marine environment, it undergoes metamorphosis. The metamorphosis process includes the reabsorption of the ciliated band and the development of the structures required for bryozoan colony formation, such as the lophophore, tentacles, and an operculum. At this stage, the cyphonautes changes into the polypide, the mature individual zooid that forms the bryozoan colony.
The study of cyphonautes larvae is
Common Misspellings for CYPHONAUTES
- xyphonautes
- vyphonautes
- fyphonautes
- dyphonautes
- ctphonautes
- cgphonautes
- chphonautes
- cuphonautes
- c7phonautes
- c6phonautes
- cyohonautes
- cylhonautes
- cy-honautes
- cy0honautes
- cypgonautes
- cypbonautes
- cypnonautes
- cypjonautes
- cypuonautes
- cypyonautes
Etymology of CYPHONAUTES
The word "Cyphonautes" is derived from Greek roots. "Cypho-" comes from the Greek word "kyphos", which means "hunched" or "bent". "Nautes" is derived from "naus", meaning "ship" or "sailor". Therefore, "Cyphonautes" can be understood as a combination of these roots, roughly translating to "hunchbacked sailor" or "bent sailor", likely referencing the appearance of the organism's body shape in the context of a sailing motion.
Similar spelling words for CYPHONAUTES
- mid-seventies,
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- Sphenoides,
- Sifuentes,
- siphonets,
- svanidze,
- suivants,
- Savants,
- seventies,
- cifuentes,
- suivantes,
- savantes,
- sphenoids.
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