Chaetopterus

noun

Chae·​top·​ter·​us
: a genus (the type of the small family Chaetopteridae) of large marine polychaete worms that inhabit parchmentlike U-shaped tubes open at both ends, are highly bioluminescent, and have one pair of large lateral appendages and several broad fanlike membranous folds by which they maintain a current of water within the tube

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from chaet- + -pterus

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Cite this Entry

“Chaetopterus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Chaetopterus. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.

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