Pentastomida

noun plural

Pen·​ta·​stom·​i·​da ˌpent-ə-ˈstäm-əd-ə How to pronounce Pentastomida (audio)
: any of a group of parasitic animals that are considered a class of the phylum Arthropoda or a separate phylum, that lack eyes, a circulatory system, and a respiratory system, that live as adults in the respiratory passages or body cavity of reptiles, birds, or mammals and undergo larval development in similar hosts, and that comprise the tongue worms
pentastomid noun

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Cite this Entry

“Pentastomida.” Merriam-Webster.com Medical Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/Pentastomida. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

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