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Glite Dictionary
Siphonophora

Siphonophora

9.9
A sea animal made of many joined parts that work together as one, like the Portuguese man-of-war
  • noun
  • /ˌsɪfəˈnɔfərə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : sifonóforo
  • Some of the most spectacular open-ocean animals are the Siphonophora, which include the Portuguese man-of-war.

Examples

  • The Siphonophora is a fascinating group of marine organisms.

  • The Siphonophora display remarkable cooperation between their different zooids.

  • Scientists studied several Siphonophora colonies to better understand their complex organization.

  • Did you know that the Siphonophora includes the Portuguese man-of-war?

  • The Siphonophora, like the Portuguese man-of-war, are fascinating colonial organisms that thrive in the ocean.

  • When observing the Siphonophora, you can see its specialized individuals working together in perfect harmony.

  • The diverse species of Siphonophora exhibit unique adaptations that allow them to survive in their marine environments.

Synonyms

siphonophore
vsSiphonophora
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A sea animal made of many small animals that float as one, like the Portuguese man o' war

is the taxonomic order grouping those colonial hydrozoans rather than a single animal

Surface Forms

Siphonophora singular
Siphonophoras plural

Morphology

Siphonophora = siphonophore (opaque) = siphon + phora

Although built from Greek components (siphon- + -phora), the taxonomic name is specialized and the second combining form is not a standalone English morpheme, so the structure and meaning are not transparent to general learners.

Etymology

Siphonophora comes from the Greek parts siphon meaning 'tube' and -phora meaning 'bearing' or 'carrying', so the name can be seen as 'tube-bearing'. That image helps remember them: a Siphonophora is a colony made of many different parts that 'carry' tube-like floats and tentacles and work together as if they were one creature.