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Glite Dictionary
scyphozoan

scyphozoan

9.9
A sea animal like a true jellyfish with a bell-shaped jellylike body that swims
  • noun
  • /ˌsɪfəˈzoʊən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : escifozoos
  • Unlike some other jellyfish, a scyphozoan spends most of its life in the medusa stage.

Examples

  • The scyphozoan drifts gracefully through the ocean currents, its body translucent and bell-shaped.

  • Many scyphozoans are found in warm ocean waters.

  • Marine biologists studied several species of scyphozoans collected from the Mediterranean Sea.

  • The scyphozoan glided gracefully through the water.

  • The scyphozoan floated effortlessly in the surrounding seawater, its gelatinous form shimmering in the sunlight.

  • Researchers documented the various characteristics of each scyphozoan species during their ocean expedition.

  • As summer approached, the beach became populated with scyphozoans, attracting both curiosity and caution from beachgoers.

Surface Forms

scyphozoan singular
scyphozoans plural

Morphology

scyphozoan = Scyphozoa (opaque) = scypho + zoan + an

Formed from the specialized taxonomic name 'Scyphozoa' plus the noun-forming suffix '-an'; this formation is technical and not guessable to average learners.

Etymology

Scyphozoan comes from Greek parts scypho- meaning 'cup' and -zoan meaning 'animal', like in the word zoo. So a scyphozoan is literally a 'cup animal', which helps you remember it is a true jellyfish with a bell-shaped body.